Brined Pork Chops Stuffed with Walnuts and Blue Cheese, served with spiced apples

Brining pork 6 to 8 hours prior to cooking makes lean chops more flavorful. This also helps them retain their moisture during high heat cooking. While brining is not necessary, this simple treatment makes a succulent difference in what can sometimes be a dry and tough pork chop.

I stuffed mine with blue cheese and walnuts, panfried in a touch of oil, and finished it off with a pan sauce made with apples, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon and allspice.

Brine 5 cups water

1/2 cup kosher salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1cup apple cider

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper.

Stir together the water, salt, and sugar until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the remaining brine ingredients and mix well. Pour over the chops, making sure that they are completely submerged in the brining liquid. Refrigerate fro 6 to 8 hours.

Prior to cooking, make sure you pat the chops dry with a paper towel.

 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Roulade 

This is a quick and easy way to prepare a pork tenderloin. You may leave out the nuts. I like them, but my children do not…

1 pound pork tenderloin trimmed
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Prepare grill to medium heat. Slice tenderloin lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open halves, laying tenderloin flat. Place tenderloin between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Sprinkle shallots, cheese, walnuts, and thyme on tenderloin. Roll up, starting with the long side, secure pork at 1 inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill for 27 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155 degrees, turning after 13 minutes. Remove from grill; lightly coat with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes; cut crosswise.