Recipe(tried): Keeping Pork Chops Moist

Sue --
I have discovered "brining" to keep meats moist. Most of my experience has been with chicken, but the articles I have read say it works with pork really well, since our pork is bred to be very lean now (lean meaning less fat and therefore less moisture in the meat).

The proportion is 1 cup of kosher salt to 1 gallon of water. Heat the water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Cool the brine completely. You'll have to experiment with pork chops, becauase the brining period depends on the thickness and density of the meat. I would suggest brining a 1" thick pork chop for 3 hours to start. Put the pork chops into a ziploc bag with the cooled brine and refrigerate for about 3 hours.

I never cook a whole chicken any more without brining it first. A 4-pound chicken takes about 8 hours. and by the way, this does not make the meat salty. the brine does alter the cellular structure of the meat, tenderizing it, and the hygroscopic effect of the salt water retains moisture.

I hope this works for you. I read about this in the San Francisco Chronicle. The article was entitled "Ready for Brine Time." You might be able to access the Chronicle and pullup the article. Good luck and bon appetit!

[Editor's note: READY FOR BRINE TIME: Salt and spices put old-fashioned flavor back into modern meats]