Paleo Garlic and Sage Pork Chops (Autoimmune-Friendly)

When you cook these chops, make sure to not burn the house down.  Yeah, I am being serious, as this recipe comes with a rather funny story.  A couple weeks ago, I was have a rough day, yet it was my Mother's birthday, and I wanted to prepare something for her dinner.  So, I decided to brine and broil some pork chops, since the time standing and overall energy required is very minimal for a process like that.  Well, much to my surprise, the fire alarm went off half way through the broiling process.  Funny thing is, the article I was previously reading about brining pork chops, warned me that cooking them might cause a lot of smoke, and to already have a window or door cracked open.  However, I initially shrugged this note off, and not being one to freak out, simply opened all of the windows and turned the oven fan on very high, in hopes to air out the house and not cause any extra stress on my parents who were both away at work.  Despite my attempts to keep it on the down-low, the fire department came, down our little country road, and, well, everyone in my family found out.  Therefore, my advice to you when making this recipe, is turn on a fan, or open a window, or just do something,  prior to cooking, so that you can ensure no large fire trucks will be dropping by to say hello.  On that note, this recipe is so mouthwatering delicious, it is definitely worth the little bit of smoke that may be produced from the fat on the pork chops. 

 As previously mentioned, today's garlic sage pork chops are super simple, and require very little energy to prepare. All that must be done is the preparation of a simple water and salt brine a few hours before you plan on cooking the chops, and viola, you have succulent and tender cut of meat ready at your disposal. You may be wondering why the brining is necessary, and truly, it is not entirely.  However, brining meat is an essential step in ensuring that your meat does not become tough and chewy, something you certainly do not want to risk on your good pork chops.  In fact, meat is said to lose 30% of its moisture content when being cooked, yet with a brine, it can be brought down to at least 15%.  The salt also makes some of the proteins present in the meat to break down, of which allows the water from the brine to insert itself into the meat, and thus when cooked, gets trapped inside. With all that said, who wouldn't want to take a hold of the benefits of brining? Overall, my family fell in love with these garlic and sage pork chops, and thus approved of me making them again and again, proving what just a simple brine and a few tasty herbs can really do.  

Garlic and Sage Pork Chops 

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(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops, 1 1/2 inches thick
• 3 cups water
• 3 tbsp sea salt  
• 1 tbsp lard 
• 1 tbsp ground garlic
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Process

• Heat 1 cup of water in a medium sized sauce pan until boiling.
• Stir in 3 tbsp sea salt until dissolved, add remaining 2 cups of water, and allow to set until room temperature.
• Place pork chops in a medium sized bowl, covering with the water and allowing to brine for 1-4 hours.  
• Once ready to cook, remove pork chops from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel until no longer wet.
• Mix remaining 1/2 tsp sea salt, sage, and garlic in a small ramekin.
• Rub pork chops all over with the lard and herb blend, placing on a wire baking rack pan.
• Place the top rack of your oven 6-8 inches away from the broiler
• Preheat broiler on high.
• Once hot, place pork chops under the broiler, cooking 3-4 minutes per side until just browned.
• Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat if the scornful."