Grilled Pork Chops with Clementine Marmalade
for the brined pork chops:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
5 allspice berries
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 bone-in pork loin chops (at least 1" thick)
for the clementine marmalade:
8 clementines (or 6 tangerines or Satsumas)
1 cup sugar
1 small onion, diced
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon ketchup
prepared horseradish to taste (we used 3 teaspoons)
kosher salt to taste
Directions:
1.Place all the brine ingredients (except the pork chops) into a medium sauce pan along with 3 cups of water. Bring the brine to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar and salt, then simmer for 5 minutes. remove from the heat and cool completely. When cool, pat the pork chops dry then place in a Ziplok bag with the cooled brine. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, flipping the bag at least once to make sure the chops are evenly marinated.
2. When ready to serve, remove the chops from the brine, pat them dry with paper towels, and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Sear (over medium-high heat), grill, or broil for 5-6 minutes on each side. Serve hot with the marmalade on the side.
3. To make the marmalade, juice 2 of the clementines, removing the seeds. Grate the zest of the remaining clementines, then peel, segment and cut the flesh into small-ish pieces, removing any seeds and reserving the juice.
4. Place the zest, clementine pieces, juice, sugar, onion, tomatoes, vinegar, ginger, and 1 cup water in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring the mix to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 35-45 minutes. When the mixture is thickened and almost syrupy, stir in the horseradish to taste, then add the ketchup. Season with salt and let cool.
