Brined Pork Chops

We took the plunge. We invested in a new grill. By invested, I mean, paid twice what one would normally pay for a grill this size. We convinced ourselves that it will be worth it, and so far it has.
Of course we did the compulsory shopping first. Sears. Home Depot. Lowe's. Each grill was so poorly built (think: wiggly) and unappealling. Then we did it. We bought a Weber gas grill, the Genesis. I have to say, I'm glad we did. It's solid. It works so well. No more under-cooked meat on one side, over-cooked on the other. Sear marks everywhere!

One of the first meals I cooked on the grill were these pork chops. I adapted the recipe from Allrecipes. Wow, did they come out moist. I highly recommend taking the time to brine them -- well worth the hour. The balsamic onions also provide great flavor. Start your grills!


1 1/2 quarts water
5 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
6 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. fresh rosemary, minced (or more to taste)

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Vidalia onions, each cut into 8 wedges
1 teaspoon salt

In a large storage bag placed in a large bowl, stir together the water, kosher salt, and sugar. Add pork chops to this brine, and let them soak for about an hour. Drain and discard the brine. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels.

In the same storage bag, stir together the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Place pork chops in bag, and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/2, about 5 to 10 minutes. Watch closely. I burned my first batch.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high or high heat. Add the onions and brown them, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the reduced vinegar and salt.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Cook pork for about 4 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove to a serving plate, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for a few minutes. Uncover, top with the onion sauce, and serve.