Liv2Luv: Food

Was browsing through the Sur La Table site and came across this. I really want the cast iron grill press, the cornbread skillet, and the grill and griddle pan!

wcfoodies:

Oh dearie, do I.

The porkchops were done by our resident meat enthusiast, Kit. Here’s his recipe:

1. Loosely brine your pork chops in a non-reactive container or plastic baggie for at least two hours or as long as overnight in a 3:1 ratio of apple cider and salt, then enough water to fully cover the chops. To this you can add anything from a nub of fresh ginger and a stick or two of cinnamon to a few smashed cloves of garlic and 3 - 4 sprigs of rosemary (which we did). You could use orange juice or cranberry juice instead of the apple cider depending on what you have around. The point is to infuse the meat with juice so it’s super tender while still achieving a gorgeous brown crust on the outside of the meat.
2. Optional: rinse the brine off before you cook your chops. This is optional and depends largely on how salty your brine is. Get a cast iron pan super duper hot and brown your pork chops on all sides, seasoning each side with salt and pepper as you flip. We added more rosemary and garlic to the chops at this point.
3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450ºF. Maybe 500ºF. When your meat’s browned on all sides, stick the whole cast iron pan in and drop the heat to 350ºF. Cook, 2 - 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chops and how done you like them. This may sound heretical, but if you’re buying fresh, high-quality pork, it is totally okay to eat them medium-to-medium-rare like a steak. Trust your instincts, of course, but if you can’t stand overcooked pork, then don’t overcook it!
4. Let your chops rest, uncovered, for 10 - 15 minutes. You can drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice or a dash of balsamic. 
5. SERVE!