Chili Brined Pork Chops with Cilantro Vinagrette

Craig is the official Grillmaster in our home. He calls prepping, lighting, and cooking on the grill his "man time" and he usually spends this time with a beer in hand. Anyway, Craig has been bugging me about grilling pork lately. We've grilled pretty much everything else, so it seemed about time to try this. I got some great bone in pork loin chops and decided to do a Mexican style brine with beer! I love to cook with beer, it's very underrated. With so many different types and tastes, it's a versatile ingredient that can really enhance a dish.

Brining is the process by which meat is soaked in a saltwater based mixture before cooking. It enhances flavor and tenderness while reducing cooking times. You can use a number of different things to brine. Anything from plain old saltwater to a more complex recipe will yield great results. This is a really simple brine that uses beer as a liquid base. I combined this with chilies and garlic for flavor and some acidity to help tenderize the meat. Generally, you can brine large cuts of meats for up to 24 hours. I would recommend brining these for at least 2, but as much as you can. I left mine for about 6 hours and they were juicy and tasty.

After all the time prepping and brining these chops, a crazy thunder storm rolled in just as we were about to light the grill. So I ended up cooking these in my cast iron skillet, which means I'll have to make them again so Craig can finally grill himself a pork chop.

Full recipe after the jump!
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Apple Fennel Pork Chops

These pork chops are a quick and simple dinner that can be whiped up in less than 30 minutes. Lean pork is high in iron, vitamin B12 and zinc. Combined with tasty apples and crisp fennel, it is an impressive and lean dinner. Fresh sage compliments the dish and intensifies its flavors. As always, it is critical that you thoroughly cook pork. Google internal temperatures and use a meat thermometer if you want to be absolutely sure.

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Classic Meatballs

Over the years I have given this recipe to almost every one of my friends. Most people think these are time consuming or difficult to make, but they are quite quick and easy. This recipe actually makes a double batch. I freeze half in a tupperware container to use for future dinners. I usually shoot for golf ball sized meatballs, but you can make larger or smaller depending on how you want to use them. There are three key secrets to great meatballs.

Secrets and recipe after the jump.
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Skillet Pork Chops

I love my cast iron skillet! It's incredibly versatile and easy to clean. Since we don't have a grill, it's great for quickly cooking meat. I whipped up these pork chops in 15 minutes and they were juicy and flavorful. I just put together a quick spice rub consisting of whatever I have on hand. Here, I used cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, red pepper flakes and sea salt. Rosemary or thyme work as well. 

Recipe and photos after the jump.

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