Brined pork chops stay moist on the grill

Bryan lucked out last night. Instead of just making the same old, I invited over Tara and Dan so I could make Lemon and Thyme Grilled Pork Chops from Sunset magazine.

After Greg's Pork Loin turned out so successful on Christmas Eve, I've been meaning to try my own hand at brining pork but didn't quite have the opportunity until now. Since the recipe calls for six bone-in pork chops, it was a bit much for just Bryan and me, but for four of us it made the perfect amount (plus leftovers!).

Bryan was sure he would dry out the pork chops or that they would be undercooked, but we followed the directions and cooked them for about 6-8 minutes per side, and they turned out moist and delicious. I brined them for the maximum time recommended, 12 hours, and they were a bit on the salty side, so I think next time I'll try to cut the brining to six hours tops.

We served the pork chops with cantaloupe and mangoes that Tara cut up for us; roasted fingerling potatoes; and broccoli roasted at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes with olive oil, salt and Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning.

Thanks for sharing the good grub with us!

The tenderest Pork Loin on Christmas Day

What a great Christmas. Besides spending the week with my awesome inlaws, I also spent the week eating awesome food — and trying my darnedest not to feel guilty that I wasn't doing any exercise to counteract all those calories.

Well, if I gained a few pounds, it was worth it.

On Christmas Eve, we feasted on a delicious ham, Funeral Potatoes (we were in Idaho Falls, after all) and plenty of trimmings including Seafoam Salad. Then we got spoiled all over again the next day with the above pictured Pork Loin that Greg woke up at 5 a.m. to make for us.

It was unbelievably tender for pork, and plenty flavorful despite its few ingredients.

Greg's Pork Loin
2 gallons water
2 c. plus 1 T. salt
3 t. coarsely ground pepper, divided
4 garlic cloves, divided
7-pound pork loin (with bones and tied with twine)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Make a brine with the water, 2 c. salt, 2 t. coarsely ground pepper and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Place the pork loin in the brine, completely submerged, and refrigerate for 5 to 5-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare a barbecue that's large enough to accommodate the entire pork loin. Create a rub with the olive oil, remaining 1 T. salt, 1 t. ground pepper and 2 minced garlic cloves. Discard the brine and pat the pork dry, then rub the olive oil mixture evenly over the pork.

Cook the pork on the barbecue until all sides are nicely browned, then place the pork in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers at 155 degrees. We had some trouble browning the meat because it was so darn cold in Idaho, so the timing here could vary, but altogether it will likely take 2-1/2 to 4 hours.

The search for Greek pork chops

To this day, Stephen likes to bring up my youthful obsession with orange foods. Orange-colored foods, I should say. As a latch-key kid during my elementary-school years (back when that wasn't frowned upon), I spent many a night making my own supper, and apparently, Stephen tells me, my favorite meal consisted of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, generic orange pop and Cheetos.

OK, Stephen doesn't have to tell me that. I know it's true. But I also know that despite the fact Mom bought me these foods to keep me from burning the house down, she also raised me better than to eat monocolored meals. But sometimes I just can't help myself.

This time, it just sort of happened. I had pork chops and I had cauliflower, and since I was taking all of the health out of the veggies by making Cauliflower Gratin, the only acceptable "carb" was quinoa. Of course, since we were drenching the quinoa with the heavy cream from the gratin, I think we canceled out all of its health benefits, too.

But the part of the meal I was anticipating the most was the pork chops. When Bryan and our Coug crew first moved to the neighborhood, we found one of Seattle's many gems: Olympic Pizza & Pasta (sorry, Web page doesn't seem to be working). It's a family-run Greek restaurant that has spectacular food and prices, and weekend specials that start every Thursday that are simply unbeatable.

But one of the biggest stars of the "specials" board is the pork steak, which is usually available not only for dinner, but also as a breakfast that'll put you right back to sleep by noon. And I need to learn their secret.

I can't ask, of course, but I will search high and low online until I find something that matches the tender, salty goodness that Olympic serves. Alas, this recipe I found for Greek-Seasoned Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Oregano did not fit the bill, but it wasn't too shabby either. It probably would have been better had I actually grilled the pork chops instead of pan-frying them, but they still were no Olympic pork chops.

Anybody know of a great Greek pork chop recipe? Better yet, do you know Olympic's secret?