Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa

By sugarbear

Ingredients

• For the chops:
• Makes 4 servings
• 3/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher salt (or 1/4 cup table salt)
• 10 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 bay leaves, crumbled
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons whole peppercorns, crushed
• 4 bone-in rub pork chops, each 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Ground black pepper
• Disposable aluminum roasting pan
• For the pineapple salsa:
• 1/4 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 3/8-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 small barely ripe banana, peeled and cut into 3/8-inch dice
• 1/2 cup seeded green grapes, halved or quartered
• 1/2 firm avocado, peeled and cut into 3/8-inch dice
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced (See Note)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
• Salt

Preparation

Step 1

1. Dissolve sugar and salt in 2 cups hot water in a gallon-size zipper-lock
plastic bag. Add garlic, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and 4 cups cold
water; cool to room temperature.

2. Add chops to brine and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as
possible. Refrigerate, turning once, for about 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine all salsa ingredients, including salt
to taste, in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature about 30
minutes to let flavors blend. (Banana and avocado will darken if salsa
is made too far in advance.)

4. Remove chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Heat a charcoal grill
for indirect grilling: Bank the coals on one side, leaving the other
side empty. (Or heat burners of gas grill on just one side.) Rub the
chops with the oil, sprinkle with pepper and grill over the hot side of
the grill about 3 minutes on each side. Move to the cool side of the
grill, cover with the aluminum roasting pan and continue grilling about
4 to 6 minutes, until instant meat thermometer near, but not touching,
the bone, registers 130 to 135 degrees. Transfer to a platter. Loosely
tent with foil and let rest 5 to 10 minutes, by which time the internal
temperature should be about 145 degrees.

Note: One jalapeno will make a mild salsa.