Press Table: For tender, tasty pork chops, try pickle juice marinade
By: KIM GOMOLL
Sometimes trying a new recipe that’s passed along by a friend or gleaned from some Internet posting requires a little bit of trust. Sometimes it requires a lot of trust. That was the case a few years ago when a friend shared a recipe that he’d “heard about somewhere.”
It went something like this: “You know what I saw today? Dill pickle pork chops!”
“What?”
Dill pickle pork chops! You marinate them in leftover pickle juice.”
My first thought was. “Absolutely not.” Don’t misunderstand: I love pickles. All kinds of pickles and almost all pickled foods (sorry okra and pig’s feet). I eat pickles every single day. I like pork, too. It’s on the menu at our house often, marinated and cooked any number of ways. But pickle juice?
As odd as that seems, what you want in a marinade is something a little bit acidic, something a little salty, something a little sweet, and a nice hit of flavor all in balance. That’s exactly what dill pickle juice is, isn’t it?
As odd , with only a pork chop or two to lose we decided to try it.
I covered two thick, boneless pork chops in dill pickle juice and marinated them all day. I flipped them once when I got home from work, but didn’t bother them again until tossing them on the grill.
The results were surprising. The chops were not “pickle-y” at all. The meat was very tender and had a different but delicious flavor. It’s a really nice change from sticky sauces, rubs or other marinades, and it couldn’t possibly be any easier. You don’t even have to stir anything. We have eaten a lot of pickles and marinated a lot of chops since that first experiment.
PICKLE JUICE PORK CHOPS
Directions:
1. Marinate boneless pork chops in the pickle juice for as long as you can. I try to marinate overnight if possible.
2. Sprinkle pepper on both sides, and salt if you want it. Some pickle brines are very salty on their own; some are not.
3. Grill over medium heat/medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes per side. I usually use fairly thick-cut chops, so they take a while. The recommended safe internal temperature is 145 degrees. Just don’t overdo it or you’ll lose all the tenderness gained by the long marinade.
4. Enjoy … then convince your friends that pork in pickle juice really is a good thing. Once we’ve convinced a friend or family member to try it, they’re always happy with the result.
Tips:
• What do you do if you’re not as pickle obsessed as I am and don’t routinely have multiple containers of pickles sloshing around the fridge? Visit your local sandwich shop, deli or restaurant. I’ve found that most places just dump the leftover brine when the pickles are gone and will probably fill a container for you or let you know when they’re ready to toss the leftover liquid.
• You’re also not limited to dill pickle juice. We love using the brine from horseradish pickles, but almost any kind would work. I haven’t tried sweet pickle juice just because it’s so easy to burn sweet glazes on the grill. That one might work better in the oven. Garlic or spicy pickle juice would probably be delicious.
