Cider-glazed pork chops with parsley salad

Brine the pork

Put the pork chops in a deep container and pour the brine over the chops, making sure they are completely submerged. Let the pork chops brine for 3 hours in the fridge.

Make the cider glaze

In a wide-bottomed saucepot, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, cinnamon, and paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool.

Grill the pork

1. Remove the pork from the brine and rinse well with cold water. Blot dry with a towel, then leave the pork chops out to continue drying. (You want the pork to be at room temperature before grilling.)
2. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat and have a sheet pan with a resting rack on top of it right near the grill. Warm 1 cup/240ml of the cider glaze in a small pot. (You will have extra that can be reserved for another use.)
3. Once your grill is going, start your pork chops with the fat side down so you can begin to render the fat. I like to lean them against one another and use long tongs to keep them upright. If they flare up, don’t panic. Simply remove them to the tray and let the grill calm down a bit, then proceed. Once you have some color on the fat, flip them onto their sides and grill them, flipping every minute or so until you get a nice golden color on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Using a pastry brush, begin to glaze the pork, flipping frequently during the process. Be mindful that the sugar in the cider glaze will cause the pork to burn very quickly. The pork will be done when it has a deep caramelized color and the internal temperature reaches about 145°F/63°C. This should only take about 8 to 10 minutes. If the chops are getting dark and the temperature isn’t quite there, you can finish them in a 300°F/150°C oven. You can always remove the chops to your rack throughout the grilling process to take their temperature if that’s easier than hovering your hand (and the thermometer) over a hot grill.

Make the parsley salad

In a mixing bowl, combine the parsley and onion. Dress your salad with the vinegar, olive oil, and Maldon salt. Taste and adjust.

Note: For a cleaner, less spicy onion flavor, you can shock your onions in an ice bath for about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a sheet tray lined with a towel to dry.

To finish

Slice the pork off the bone and cut the meat against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick (12mm) slices. Season the pork with Maldon salt and divide among plates. Plate your salad next to the pork and serve.

A simple brine for meat and fish

Ingredients

2/3 cup packed/150g light brown sugar
2/3 cup/150g kosher salt
8 cups/2l water

Tips

1. You can make a larger batch than called for here and store it in the fridge for a few months. Since you always want your brine to be cold when you’re submerging meats and fish, it’s helpful to have some on hand, chilled and ready to use, so you don’t find yourself having to boil and cool a batch when you need it in a pinch.
2. Make sure whatever ingredient you’re brining is fully submerged in the liquid. At home, I’ll sometimes use a plate to weigh down larger ingredients like pork shoulder.
3. I don’t really bother with aromatics in brine—I’m more concerned with seasoning. You can feel free to experiment, though, by adding spices, herbs, and vegetables to the liquid when it’s coming up to a boil. (Just note that if you add any of these to the brine, they’ll deteriorate, and the brine won’t keep as long in the fridge.) Rosemary and garlic are great with pork; black peppercorns, parsley, and bay leaves are nice with chicken.
4. For fish, a quick brine is sufficient: 3 to 5 minutes for fish in the 1/2-inch- thick (12 mm) range and 10 to 12 minutes for anything thicker. Meats can be brined longer: Pork chops, for example, can be brined for anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. Whole chickens, even longer.
5. Don’t reuse brine—discard it after removing whatever you’ve used it for. It has animal proteins and can spoil.

Method

1. In a pot, combine 8 cups/2l water, the brown sugar, and the salt and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the brine to cool.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Reprinted from The Four Horsemen: Food and Wine for Good Times by Nick Curtola with Gabe Ulla and James Murphy; wine notes by Justin Chearno. Photographs © 2024 by David Malosh. Published by Abrams.