Brazen Pork Chops

As a rule, I tend to cook food that's forgiving of the occasional lapse in attention: A minute or two can be the difference between a medium-rare steak and a piece of charcoal, but as long as it doesn't completely dry out, a braised pot roast or daube, or a slow-cooked bolognese can sit cooking in the oven for an extra hour and nobody will know the difference. The bad news is that you've got to occasionally start dinner at two in the afternoon so that it have time to cook slowly, and technically this dish is no exception. Although the cooking time is significantly shorter than typical, the brining process adds another hour early on.

Brazen Pork Chops
8 pork loin chops, about 1" thick

Brine:
1 quart water
Salt--until said water tastes just salty (probably 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

Sauce:
4 tbsp whole-grain mustard
4 tbsp sour cream

Secret Ingredient:
Black pepper
Beer

Mix the ingredients for the brine together. Taste before putting the chops into the brine, it should taste approximately like seawater--add water or salt as necessary to achieve this. Place the chops into the brine in a gallon zip bag, refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°

Heat an enameled (or not) cast-iron dutch oven or covered baking pan over medium high heat (should be large enough to hold all the chops when covered--if you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a covered round casserole and sear the chops in a separate pan). Remove chops from bag, sprinkle with black pepper. Sear chops, in batches, a minute per side, being careful not to crowd the pan. Return all chops to dutch oven (or place in casserole), pour in a healthy splash of beer (2-3 oz), and shove into the preheated oven. Let cook for an hour or so.

Before serving, mix together mustard and sour cream. Remove chops from oven, plate, add 1 tbsp of sauce to each chop, and serve. Serves eight dainty eaters or dieters or people who only eat as much as they're supposed to, or four hearty appetites. Plan for four.