Maple Sriracha Brined Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with the National Pork Board, showcasing cooking with pork to create nutritious meals as part of a balanced lifestyle. All opinions are my own.
What we consume on a daily basis shouldn’t be an afterthought. Maintaining a well-balanced diet means being mindful about what we put in our bodies as fuel. These maple sriracha pork chops are flavorful, easy to make and nutritious. Did you know that pork is an excellent source of nutrients important in supporting our health, including vitamin B-6, B-12, thiamin, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, selenium and protein and a good source of phosphorus? As important as being mindful about selecting our food is, the way we enjoy our food also matters. Throughout last year I found myself spending less than 5 minutes eating, basically just to be done with it. Over time this became a habit that didn’t sit well with me, so in an effort to promote mindfulness in everything I do I wrote down a few things that really helped me feel centered while eating: Eating slowly, avoiding multitasking while eating (goodbye television or eating while standing), savoring the flavors and being in the moment with loved ones around the dinner table, putting my phone down (a hard one for a food Instagrammer!) These small changes combined with planning easy meals like these easy pork chops and sides ahead of time could also help you if you’re considering a more mindful approach to eating.
In this recipe, I chose boneless pork chops for ease of cooking and eating but bone-in pork chops work wonderfully as well. The National Pork Board website has a pork chop guide! Pork is so versatile and takes on the flavor of anything you add to it. Switch it up, savor the actual cooking process (I love the sound of something sizzling on the grill) and enjoy! Here are a few more pork chop recipes that I like:
Korean style Pork Chops
Thai Ribeye Pork Chops
Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Basil Rub
Brining pork chops:
The process of brining meat breaks down muscle tissue to draw in moisture and flavor. The best pork chops to brine are chops not enhanced with a sodium/water solution. In this recipe, I brined the pork chops for 2 hours, but you can brine yours for up to 4 hours or overnight depending on the thickness of your cut. After they are brined, pat them dry and add a glaze or marinade to coat right before cooking. Here is a helpful video that demonstrates how to brine your pork chops so that they are always juicy and flavorful:
Another thing to keep in mind is that pork today is very lean, making it important to not overcook. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts like pork chops is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer to measure the temperature at the thickest part of the cut without touching any bone. Once you have reached the desired internal temperature, remove from heat and let it rest for three minutes.
As always, you are the master of your kitchen and every recipe just serves as a guide for you to create what you enjoy. Some substitutes could be omitting the sriracha/ginger and replacing it with mustard/garlic if you’re not looking for the spice, using honey instead of maple syrup and skipping the grilling portion to roast everything on one sheet pan from the start. Adding fresh chopped chives instead of toasted sesame seeds and squeezing lime juice over everything at the dinner table might provide some freshness that you’ll enjoy.
Maple Sriracha Pork Chops
Prep Time: 10 minutes (2-4 hours to brine)| Cook Time: 12-15 minutes | Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the brine:
2 cups water
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon salt
1 bay leaf
4 boneless pork chops, about 1 -inch thick
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 ½ lbs brussels sprouts, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
To serve: find my cauliflower mash recipe here
Guidelines:
Combine water, salt, maple syrup and bay leaf in a shallow resealable container that has a lid. Whisk until clear then add pork chops to the brine. They should be fully submerged. Place the lid on and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight. Pat dry using a paper towel when ready to use.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, sriracha and grated ginger. Brush pork chops with a few tablespoons of this marinade then grill for 1 minute per side over medium heat using a griddle pan. This is an optional step just to create the lovely marks that I find more appetizing. Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss brussels sprouts in sea salt and olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan along with the pork chops.
Roast for 10-15 minutes, checking halfway through to make sure the pork chops do not overcook - pull them from the oven earlier if you must. Pour remaining marinade over the chops and brussels sprouts toward the end of the cooking time with 5 minutes to go so that it does not caramelize too much. When removing from the heat, the internal temperature should be at 140F before a 3-minute rest, after which it should come up to 145F before slicing into.
