Brined Pork Chops from the New York Times Cooking Column

These brined chops were moist and flavourful,  although slightly too salty for my taste. The NYT recipe called for fennel as an accompaniment, which I think would be delicious. I only had onions so that's all I used. It also called for allspice berries. I'm not exactly sure where one finds allspice berries. Perhaps in New York city.

Ingredients for the Brine:

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 6 allspice berries, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
•  2 bone -in pork chops, about 12 ounces each

Ingredients for the Pork Chops:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch think
• 3 or 4 trimmed fennel bulbs, sliced 1/4 inch thick (that's a lot of fennel )
• salt and papper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• a few fennel fronds

Methods: 

Make the brine by mixing 4 cups of water into the brine ingredients. Put the pork chops in a glass or plastic container and submerge the chops in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the chops and pat them dry. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place a skillet on high heat and add the olive oil. Brown the chops for 3 minutes per side, then remove the chops from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium high and add the onion and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the fennel seed and garlic and turn off the heat. 

Lay the chops on top of the fennel mixture and place the pan in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

When you serve the fennel-onion mixture and chops, sprinkle them with parsley and garnish with fennel fronds.