COOK AND BAKE CENTER RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, The key to a good pork Roast is to LOCK IN THE JUICES BY ROASTING AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE to form a crust on the outside, & then LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE TO COOK LOW AND SLOW. This recipe is for those of you that think I only make large quantity recipes. This one only serves 4, or more if you decide to share the thick cut chops.
• Combine the spices of your choice in a small bowl, then sprinkle and rub liberally over the entire roast. I like to spray roast with a little cooking spray also once it is seasoned. Spray a shallow roasting pan with non stick cooking spray.
• Add roast to pan, then place in preheated 450 degrees F. oven and Roast for 15 minutes. Then LOWER THE TEMPERATURE to 275 degrees F. and roast for 2 hours, or until pop up timer pops out if there is one or the internal temperature reaches 145-155 degrees F. The temperature will continue to rise about 10 degrees or so once removed from oven.
• Allow Roast to rest about 10 minutes, tent top with foil. Then WITH A VERY SHARP KNIFE, SLICE BETWEEN EACH RIB BONE, DOWN TO THE BASE. If the base was not cracked before hand you will need to work your way around the base to get each chop loose. But it is much easier if the base bone has been cracked by the butcher at the store level. As you can see I did get the chops separated but not without a lot of effort on my part. The Moral of the story is to ASK THE BUTCHER TO CRACK THE BASE BONE AT STORE LEVEL, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE ON SALE. IT WILL MAKE YOUR JOB SO MUCH EASIER AT THE DINNER TABLE. Smile

Steps:

• "Prepare the brine. Combine salt and water in a saucepan 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil long enough to dissolve the salt. Add the rosemary, bay, juniper berries and brown sugar to the mixture. Allow to cool enough so that it will not cook the pork. You can choose any aromatics you would like other than what we have here. Experiment! Prepare the pork. While the brine is cooling, flatten the pork loin chops. We use a large wood cutting block with a piece of plastic on top. We cover the plastic with wax paper and use a piece of wax paper on top of the loin chop. Use the dull side of a meat mallet and pound flat to about 1/2 inch. This helps tenderize and make cooking quick. The brine adds flavor and also ensures tenderness. Once the brine is cooled to room temp, place in a seal-able container or seal-able plastic bag. Add pork and ensure that brine covers the pork. Cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Do not let them brine longer than four hours, you'll end up with mush if you do. Another trick we use is a food vacuum container. It takes only 20 minutes in that to brine. Cook the pork. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove pork from brine, discarding all liquid. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush lightly with the olive oil and salt and pepper to your own taste. Heat an oven proof skillet (such as cast iron) over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Be sure not to overcook them, you just want a little color. Put the skillet with the pork in the oven and finish cooking for about 6-8 minutes. You know they are done when a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit when checking the inner most part of the chop. Serve the pork. Remove pork from oven. Transfer from skillet to a serving platter and place a piece of aluminum foil over them loosely. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with any sides you normally would. We enjoy German sweet & sour red cabbage with these chops. Tip: You can do the same with bone-in chops, just omit the flattening step. Bone-in chops tend to be juicier by default. You can also change the brining to a marinade. I'll sometimes do an Asian marinade and use a different set of sides."