Pressure Cooker Brined Pork Chops and Brown Rice

Pressure Cooker Brined Pork Chops and Brown Rice

You want moist, tender and flavorful pork chops? How bout some healthy brown rice, too? Break out the pressure cooker

! (as if you ever put it away, lol) This little ditty will have you smiling from ear to ear because it’s bursting with fantastic flavor!

I was reviewing some of my old recipes, looking for something to cook in my new pressure cooker and came across brine for chops. Pork chops are SO delicious when they’re soaked in a brine. They’re fantastic on the grill but since I’m looking for things to make in my new gadget, I figured I’d give it a go. I’m super glad I did because they turned out wonderful and making the rice at the same time in the same pot was a major bonus.

The great thing about brining pork chops is that you have a great big window of time. Prep your brine, toss in the pork chops and leave them in the refrigerator till you’re ready to cook them. You can brine them for 4 hours up to 48 hours. I’ve done both and the flavor is fantastic. The longer you brine them, the stronger the flavor is but shorter times still tenderize and flavor your chops well.

The key with this mixture is the salt and garlic. The salt helps the fibers of muscle absorb moisture, thereby allowing for less shrinkage and less moisture loss during pressure cooking. The garlic gives a nice strong flavoring through out the meat and is enhanced by the rest of the ingredients; brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and hot peppers.

To prep the brine, simply heat up two cups of water over med/hi heat in a small pan. You don’t need to boil it, just get it hot enough to dissolve the salt and brown sugar. Use a whisk to stir them in and once they are dissolved, remove from the heat and add ice to quickly cool the mixture.

Once the mixture is cool, (should be cold to the touch) add the rest of the ingredients, which are listed below in the recipe printout. Place your pork chops in a gallon sized zip top bag and pour the brine over them. Seal the bag and place it in a dish to avoid spilling or leaks. Place the chops in the refrigerator and allow them to brine for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 48 hours.

Remove the pork chops from the brine and rinse them well. Pat them dry with paper towels.

Note: You can brine your chops, rinse and dry them and place them in the freezer for later use.

After your chops are prepped and ready, it’s time to cook. First, you’ll brown them on both sides using the saute option on your pressure cooker.

Heat a couple tablespoons of butter or olive oil (butter tastes better!) in the pot.

Brown each pork chop one both sides, making sure you don’t crowd the pot. Depending on the size of your unit (mine is 8 quarts) and the amount of pork chops you’re cooking, you may need to work in batches.

Set the pork chops aside after they’re browned.

To get all the browned bits (the good stuff!) loose from the bottom, add in your onion and saute for two minutes. Use a heat proof spatula to loosen the bits as the moisture from the onion is released.

Add two cups of brown rice to the pot and saute for a minute. Then add 2 1/4 cups of chicken or beef stock. Stir well.

Place the pork chops on top of the rice.

Press the keep warm/cancel button to reset the functions. Press the manual button and adjust the time to 22 minutes, using the plus button.

After the unit has come to pressure and counted down to zero, leave the unit on and wait until the timer begins counting again. Allow everything to remain in the pot for 10 minutes before you release the pressure.

Once the timer has counted to 10 minutes, carefully release the pressure valve and allow the steam to vent. Remove the lid and place the pork chops on a serving tray. Stir the rice and taste for seasoning adjustment. If needed, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Though it does take a little thinking ahead for brining the pork chops, it’s well worth the extra step. This meal was gobbled up right away by my crew and I’m pretty sure it’ll make you and your crew just as happy.

We hope you’ll give this one a try and let us know about it. We’d love to hear from you!

Have a fabulous day and as always, keep it delicious!

Till next time ~ much love, Connie