This Sunday for our lunch, Bill did an interesting twist on our usual roast dinner.
We got massive pork chops and with a sweet potato mash and brocolli gratin, he made the most amazing meal. The glaze for the chops was absolutely beautiful and he added a secret special ingredient – smoked rock salt from Whole Foods that smell like… pure smoke.
Here is the recipe from this site for L’Etoile’s Custom Cut Pork Chop with Maple Glaze. Enjoy! To those not from this neck of the woods… real maple syrup only!
1/2 cup dark maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon finely minced or rasped shallot
2 thick-cut (1&1/2″ inch thick) pork chops, with fat layer intact
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil (divided)
1 tablespoon cold butter
In small bowl, combine maple syrup, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and shallot. Set aside.
Pat chops dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Preheat a thick, heavy-bottomed skillet until a drop of water vaporizes when it hits the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat or oil and heat until oil starts to ripple. Sear pork chops over high heat until a light gold to medium brown crust forms, about 5 minutes, depending on thickness of pan and intensity of flame. Turn over chops and sear other side until golden and crispy. Remove chops from pan, pour off all fat and wipe hot pan clean with dry paper towels to remove any singed bits. Return hot pan to medium heat. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon bacon fat in pan. Pour a third of the maple syrup mixture into the pan and place chops in it. Allow glaze to caramelize onto bottom of chop for a couple of minutes, watching carefully to prevent scorching. Pour remaining glaze on top of chops, turn tops face down and repeat caramelization. If your glaze starts to scorch, reduce heat and swirl in a teaspoon or two of water into glaze.
Remove chops from pan and rest meat on warm platter loosely covered with foil for 5 to 10 minutes. The internal temperature of thick cut chops will rise another couple of degrees. Chop is done when center is rosy pink and juices run clear. (The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees; Piper prefers to remove chop from heat at 135 degrees.) Meanwhile, remove pan from heat and swirl in cold butter to emulsify glaze into a sauce. Keep sauce in warm pan until ready to serve. After meat has rested 5 to 10 minutes, test internal temperature by inserting meat thermometer sideways through interior to center of chop.
Note: Pork chops also may be brined and lightly smoked. To prepare brine for 2 to 4 pork chops, dissolve 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup salt and 1 teaspoon maple extract in 3 quarts water. Add 1 tablespoon each of whole cloves, whole allspice, whole black pepper and whole coriander, plus 2 bay leaves. In casserole dish with sides high enough for brine to cover meat, marinate chops for 24 hours in refrigerator. If making 4 chops, use two dishes. If desired, lightly smoke chops in smoker or grill according to manufacturer’s directions after removing from brine.