Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops

Though these pork chops require overnight brining, they make dinner the next night a breeze. Brine these chops up to two days beforehand. Just remove from brine after an overnight soak, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  fat-free buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  kosher salt
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh sage
• 4  (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 2  teaspoons  freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle pork with pepper.

Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

183 (35% from fat)

Fat:

7.2g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

26g

Carbohydrate:

2g

Fiber:

0.3g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

345mg

Calcium:

43mg