getting good contact with the pan Sirloin Chop Cut from near the back end of the loin, this chop contains tons of muscles from the hip and ham Compared to the other chops, it’s tough and not particularly tasty, and I don’t buy it very often Pork has a particular affinity for sweet sauces, so when serving it, I usually like to make a fruit preserve–based pan sauce (here), or perhaps one flavored with maple syrup (here) or even apples and cider (here) ENHANCED PORK U nlike beef, which has a ton of internal fat, most pork these days is relatively lean, making it very easy to overcook One way to fix this problem is by brining it (see here) Just as with turkey and chicken, a soak in a saltwater solution can cause the meat’s protein structure to loosen up, allowing it to retain more moisture as it cooks, though, just as with poultry, it’ll also dilute the flavor Pork producers figured this out a while ago, and many of them started injecting their pork with a briny solution The vast majority of industrially raised pork in this country is now sold in this form, known as “enhanced” pork To see if your pork has been enhanced, check the label: if it is, it’ll say something like “with up to 10% sodium solution.” Seems convenient, right? Prebrined meat? Unfortunately, the brine solution sits in the meat for far too long Rather than tasting simply juicy, most enhanced pork borders on spongy, with an odd hamlike texture I much prefer to buy unenhanced natural pork and dry-brine it myself, allowing me to control exactly how much liquid it retains Oftentimes I don’t brine it at all, knowing that if I cook them carefully and monitor the temperature, the chops’ll still end up nice and juicy To dry-brine pork chops, season well on all surfaces with kosher salt Place on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 45 minutes and up to 3 days BUCKLE UP! ... as with poultry, it’ll also dilute the flavor Pork producers figured this out a while ago, and many of them started injecting their pork with a briny solution The vast majority of industrially... enhanced, check the label: if it is, it’ll say something like “with up to 10% sodium solution.” Seems convenient, right? Prebrined meat? Unfortunately, the brine solution sits in the meat for far...easy to overcook One way to fix this problem is by brining it (see here) Just as with turkey and chicken, a soak in a saltwater solution can cause the meat’s protein structure to loosen up, allowing it