Friday, August 12, 2011

Foodie Friday: Drunk Pork Chops & Watermelon Salad

Hey Humble Readers...

It's Friday night and that means it's time for some recipes!  And I have a couple of doozies for you tonight.  Brand new for us, and totally yummy, I really hope you're going to give these a try. 

I will say that the second one is a little different... it took a couple of bites to appreciate the combination of flavours, but I just kept going back for more.  My Beloved, who has a long history of not being a fan of watermelon actually liked it too. 

First up...


Drunk Pork Chops (brine is good for up to 8 thick cut pork chops)

1 12oz can of beer
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 lg cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 small onion, cut into thick slices
1 thick cut pork chop per person

Combine beer, syrup, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, sage, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Place pork chops into a large zip top bag, add in sliced onion, and pour in brine.  Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and smoosh the contents around a bit.  Let stand in the fridge for at least 12 hours (I put mine in the fridge at 10pm last night, and cooked them up at 6pm today).  Take the pork chops from the fridge, and out of the brine, at least 20 minutes before cooking and allow to come to room temp.  I grilled these on our indoor grill, but you could also bake them in a 350F oven.  I served them with potatoes mashed with sour cream, horse rsdish, and chives. 

I have never had such juicy tender pork chops.  Seriously the best I have EVER tasted!  Soooo yummy!  I just had them for dinner tonight, and I'm already trying to figure out when I can make them again.

Next up...


Watermelon Salad

3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
1 english cucumber, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently.  Allow to stand in the fridge for 15 minutes.  I'm thinking next time I might add some fresh mint and/or cilantro. 

Like I said, it's a bit different, but soooo good.  A nice refreshing summer salad. 

As always, please let me know what you think if you try these.

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