Mom Chops

INGREDIENTS

  • Apple Cider Pork Brine
  • 1/2 gallon apple cider
  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 1 1/4 cups salt
  • 1 /4 bunch thyme
  • 1/2 julienne onion
  • 1 whole piece of Llano Seco pork loin

Gravy

  • 2 tbsp AP flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ and onion minced
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 2 cups chicken stock or pork stock
  • 1 tsp Hungarian paprika
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • tsp butter to finish
  • 1 tsp salt to taste


DIRECTIONS

Brine:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk until all the salt is dissolved and then pour over the pork. Pork should be totally submerged for 24 hours.

Gravy:

  1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until soft with the paprika.
  2. Add the flour and incorporate then add the chicken stock.
  3. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes then whisk in the remaining butter.
  4. Add the sprig of thyme and let it sit for a few minutes.
  5. For a silky gravy you may strain.
  6. For a more rustic approach don’t strain.
  7. For mushroom gravy add about ½ a cup of roasted button mushroom or your favorite right at the end, bring to a simmer and pour over the chops.
  8. Serve with buttered egg noodles or your favorite vegetable accompaniment. 

Mom Chops:

  1. Remove pork from brine (remove rib bones)
  2. Slice the pork into 4 oz chops and pound with a cleaver until about ½ an inch thick.
  3. One trick is to put the pork between plastic wrap before pounding to minimize the mess.
  4. At this point you can season the pork with salt and pepper and a touch of olive oil and go directly on the grill. This is how they do it at Spaghetti Brothers.
  5. Another option is to lightly bread them in a little flour and cook in olive oil (non grilled option)