Cedar & Ember · Main dishes

Cider-Brined Pork Chop with Charred Cabbage & Grainy Mustard Pan Sauce

Name: Cider-Brined Pork Chop with Charred Cabbage & Grainy Mustard Pan Sauce
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 whole Bone-in pork chops; 500 ml Apple cider; 250 ml Water; 30 g Salt; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Brown sugar; 0.5 whole Cabbage; 2 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 whole Shallot; 120 ml Chicken stock; 1 tbsp Grainy mustard; 60 ml Heavy cream; 15 g Unsalted butter; 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves

A thick-cut pork chop brined in apple cider for juiciness, seared hard and finished with a creamy grainy mustard pan sauce, beside smoky charred cabbage wedges.

100 minutes · Intermediate · 2 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Bone-in pork chops2 whole
Apple cider500 ml
Water250 ml
Salt30 g
Salt0.5 tsp
Brown sugar1 tbsp
Cabbage0.5 whole
Neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Shallot1 whole
Chicken stock120 ml
Grainy mustard1 tbsp
Heavy cream60 ml
Unsalted butter15 g
Fresh thyme leaves1 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Mustard and milk. Apple cider here is unfiltered and non-alcoholic. Check labels.

Method

Brine the chops

Stir 30 g salt and the brown sugar into the water until dissolved, then add 375 ml of the cider (save the rest for the sauce). Submerge the chops and refrigerate for 1 hour, no longer than 2. Keep the brine and raw pork separate from ready-to-eat food.

Char the cabbage

Heat the oven to 200°C. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the cabbage into 4 wedges through the core, season with 0.5 tsp salt and the pepper, and sear 3–4 minutes per cut side until deeply charred. Move to a tray and roast 15–18 minutes until tender at the core.

Sear the chops

Remove the chops from the brine and pat very dry. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining oil and heat over medium-high. Sear the chops 4 minutes per side, then transfer the skillet to the oven for 6–8 minutes. Check the centre of each chop with a food thermometer: pork must reach 71°C (160°F). Cook longer if needed.

Rest

Move the chops to a clean board and rest for 5 minutes.

Make the pan sauce

Return the skillet to medium heat (the handle is hot). Add the butter and shallot and cook 1 minute. Pour in the remaining 125 ml cider and the stock, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer 4–5 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the mustard, cream and thyme and simmer 1 minute more.

Plate

Set a chop and two cabbage wedges on each plate and spoon the mustard sauce over the pork.

Pat the chops completely dry after brining, since the sugar in the cider helps them brown fast. If the outside darkens before the inside is ready, let the oven finish the job. The 100 minutes includes about 60 minutes of hands-off brining.

AI-generated food image. Presentation is illustrative. This menu belongs to an imagined restaurant.