Brining and Marinating Chops

Video

Banish the thought of dry, tough chops. By using a rub, marinade, or brine, you can create a moist, flavorful cut of meat. This video will show you how.

Lesson

Brining chops

Our favorite way to prepare chops is brining. Brines are salted solutions used to add moisture and tenderize poultry and meats. Food that is brined stays juicy and tender during grillin’ or smoking.

Brining involves mixing a solution of liquids (juice, vinegar and water are a few examples), salt, and some form of sugar, spices, and herbs, and then letting the chops soak in the mixture for several hours in the refrigerator. The brine is washed off the meat before adding a rub or cooking the meat.

Creating great marinades

Marinating adds flavors and moisture, and tenderizes meats. Marinades often consist of several of the following: acid (vinegar, tomato or citrus juices); liquid (fruit juices or colas); salt (flavored or plain); sweetener (sugar, honey, molasses, syrup, brown sugar); oil (olive, sesame, peanut, corn); and various herbs and spices. Minced garlic, parsley, finely chopped onions, brown sugar, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cumin, citrus pepper, ginger, and citrus zests are all great flavors for marinades.

Using sugars, especially brown sugar, adds a rich brown color to the meat or poultry, because it begins to caramelize when the meat is cooked.

Most marinades can be made ahead and stored in a tightly closed container in a refrigerator for several weeks.

Unlike brining, marinades aren’t rinsed off the surface of the meat. Instead, marinades are lightly brushed off, and the remaining liquid is often reserved and is used as a baste—but only after you boil it for 10 minutes. Boiling it destroys any bacteria left in the liquid from the raw meat and makes it safe to eat.

Best containers for marinating

Marinating food in a non-metallic container like glass or plastic works best. You can also marinate food in re-sealable plastic bags that you can turn over several times to make sure the marinade is coating all surfaces. The key to marinating is making sure the meat is completely covered by the liquid.

How long to marinate chops

If you use an acid or salt in your marinade you should not marinate meat in it for more than 6 to 8 hours. Longer than this and the salt and acid will start to break the meat protein down, and you will end up with a mushy piece of meat. Pork marinated without salt and an acid can safely stay in the marinade, refrigerated and covered, for up to 5 days.

Ready to make your own? See our recipes for marinades.