Ingredients
- 2½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 bone-in pork chops
- 2 to 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- about 3 cups of a not-too-hoppy beer
- salt, as needed
- spices to steer the dish toward whatever you’d like to use as sides.
- (Used in the photo above and at right are smoked paprika and fresh parsley, served with Forbidden Rice, sautéed kale, and a sunny side up egg.)
Preparation
A note about selecting the beer:
For this recipe, I used Bentonville Brewing Company’s Witbier. Other good choices would be Ozark’s Belgian Golden, Bike Rack’s Urban Trail Golden, Core’s Leghound, or Fossil Cove’s T-Rex Tripel. A hard cider from Black Apple Crossing would be delicious, too.
1. The day before cooking the pork chops, combine water, dark brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan, and heat until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside to cool before adding the pork chops. Then, let two pork chops thaw overnight while refrigerated in the brine.
2. When ready to cook, pat the pork chops dry. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter, and sear the chops until browned, approximately a minute on each side. Remove chops from the pan, and set aside.
3. Add onions to the hot pan, and sauté until softened. Return chops to pan, and add enough beer to almost cover. Reduce heat to low, and braise on the stovetop or in a 275° oven until tender, about two hours, adding additional beer as needed. Serve with the braising liquid.
