Brined Pork Chops With Fennel
Updated September 19, 2018
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus brining
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE BRINE
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed
6 allspice berries, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 bone-in pork chops, about 12 ounces each
FOR THE PORK CHOPS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 or 4 trimmed fennel bulbs, about 1 pound, sliced ¼-inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
A few tender green fennel fronds
Lemon wedges, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 3 servings)
30 grams carbs; 156 milligrams cholesterol; 592 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 1167 milligrams sodium; 50 grams protein; 18 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the brine: Put salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice and fennel seeds in a bowl. Whisk in 4 cups water to dissolve salt and sugar.
- Step 2
Put pork chops in one layer in a glass or plastic container. Pour brine over to completely submerge chops. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably longer, up to overnight. Remove chops from brine and pat dry. Discard brine.
- Step 3
Cook the chops: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Set a wide, heavy skillet over high heat and add olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chops in one layer and let brown for about 3 minutes per side.
- Step 4
Remove chops from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and add sliced onion and fennel, stirring to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and crushed fennel seeds and turn off heat.
- Step 5
Lay the chops on top of the onion-fennel mixture (alternatively, transfer all of it to a baking dish) and place pan, uncovered, in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the internal temperature of chops is 140 degrees.
- Step 6
Remove chops and let rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer onion-fennel mixture to a platter and keep warm. Cut chops into ⅛-inch slices and add to platter. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with fennel fronds. Serve with lemon wedges.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious! I went heavy on fennel and onion and roasted them till well caramelized. Pork was sliced and served over a pile of soft and sweet roasted fennel and onion. I also added lemon wedges to my pan and roasted them along with everything. An optional squeeze of lemon over individual plate was offered. I personally think it tasted much better with lemon. The brine solution is already salty, I did not add any salt to the fennel and onion. I served mine with mashed potato. ♥️
I'm thinking I'll try this with Sam Sifton's star anise brine, which has taken all of the pork recipes I make to a whole new level!
Onions and Fennel came out great - pork chops came out dry - pan seared 3 minutes on each side and baked for 18 minutes - brined over night for 17 hours - thick cuts too - not sure how to get these tender - cut browning by a minute? Cut cooking time down to 12-15 minutes? Endlessly frustrated by pork.
I found the amount of fennel onion more than needed and am throwing some out (cooking for 2). I used 1 large fennel bulb from the farmers market. While I like this, I don’t think it’s going in the rotation. The lemon is absolutely necessary in my opinion otherwise the flavors are a bit too much/similar, slightly cloying with all the fennel flavor. Maybe I don’t love fennel enough?’my husband said maybe if fennel /onion were really roasted to a crisp he’d like it more. A good not great meal for us so I’ll probably remove from my saved recipes.
I think the quality of the meat is an important factor in achieving that elusive pork chop tenderness. I bought 2 bone-in chops that were easily 1.25” thick with a healthy (no pun intended) fat cap. Brined for 8 hours. And, well browned on the stove top. The result was a restaurant quality chop. We are fortunate to have a butcher nearby in Kittery and I think the quality and cut of the meat made the difference.
Is it okay to brine for a much longer period- like 30 + hours? As I write that it sounds kind of crazy. But I just put the pork chops in the brine and then I realized that tomorrow night would be a better time to make them.