Brining pork chop


 
W

Will

New member
I'm going camping this weekend, and I'm tasked with grilling pork chops on Saturday night. I'm a big believer in brining, so I'd like to brine the chops ahead of time.

The problem is that I'll be leaving my house on Friday morning, meaning I'll have to remove the pork chops from the brine Friday morning at the latest, and probably Thursday night. Is it safe and effective to brine pork chops on Thursday night and not grill then until Saturday night, storing them in a cooler for most of that time? Maybe storing them in separate plastic bags would help?

Any advice and recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Welcome Will. If it were me going camping, I might skip the brine this trip, and marinate the chops in a ziplock bag in a cooler on Saturday afternoon.
If they are in the brine too long they might get "hammy". Just a thought. Have a great campout.
 
Thanks Bob! To clarify, I'm only going to have them in the brine for a max of 12 hours, and maybe less. Then I was planning to remove them, pat them down, and put them in a ziplock on ice for 36 hours, and that's the part that worries me. I wonder if it's safe to store them that long after a brine, and if they might get too mushy stored that way, even though they're out of the brine.
 
Just throwing this out there. What about mixing the brine, adding the chops and then immediately putting the bag in the freezer. Then, when you throw them into the cooler, they will slowly start to thaw and then really do their brining.

Never done, not sure how the results would turn out. Just an idea...
 
What about brining the chops after you get to the camp site?

All you'd need is water, ice, and whatever spices and seasonings you plan on brining with. All of these ingredients are camping essentials, so there's no reason that you won't have them available to you.
 
Will,

I think your idea will work fine. If you brine at the campsite you'd need plenty of water to rinse the chops before grilling, which may be a problem.

BTW - I've been using a buttermilk brine from Weber's Time to Grill on my chops lately. Combine 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup salt, and mustard & herbs. It is a fantastic recipe.

Jim
 
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