Ruhlman's Twenty (4 page)
Authors: Michael Ruhlman
BRINE
1.5 ounces kosher salt in 30 ounces of water, or 50 grams kosher salt in 1 liter of water, or 1½ tablespoons Morton’s kosher salt in 3¾ cups water
1 large shallot, sliced
10 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 lemon, halved
1 packed tablespoon fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar with a pestle or on a cutting board with the bottom of a heavy pan
4 bone-in pork chops, each about 8 ounces/225 grams
TO MAKE THE BRINE:
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the salt water, shallot, garlic, lemon, sage, bay leaves, and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the brine to come to room temperature. Refrigerate the brine uncovered until cold.
Submerge the pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove the chops from the brine, discarding the brine. Rinse the chops and pat dry with paper towels/absorbent paper. Let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before you cook them. They can be sautéed, breaded and panfried, pan-roasted, or grilled/barbecued. I think they’re best panfried.
See
Three Rules for Deep-frying
for the panfrying technique.
1
/Brine mise en place: salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, and sage and bay leaves
2
/Pork chops submerged in the brine.
3
/Standard breading procedure: flour, then egg, then bread crumbs
4
/Hold the breaded chops on a rack so that the bread crumbs on the bottom don’t have a chance to become soggy.
5
/To gauge if your oil is hot enough, insert a chopstick. If it bubbles immediately, the oil is ready.
6
/You should have just enough oil so that it rises at least halfway up the sides of the chops when they’re all in the pan.
7
/Turn them carefully with a slotted spatula or fork, careful not to crack the crusty exterior.
8
/Cook the chops until they’re medium rare to medium (they’ll continue to cook once they’re out of the oil).
9
/Make the Lemon-Caper Sauce while your chops rest.
10
/Serve the sauce over the rested pork chop.
/MAKES
5
CURED LEMONS
Lemon confit (kohn-FEE)—the peel of preserved lemons—is one of the most beguiling seasoning devices I’ve encountered. It’s the kind of flavor that, if you add it to a chicken jus or gravy or a vinaigrette, people exclaim, “What is that flavor?” They can’t place it, but they love it. The flavor is hard to describe—it’s definitely lemony, but there’s more complexity to it in addition to the lack of acidity. It’s a bit of an eccentric riff on the fruit, the hipster version of lemon.
Common in North African cuisines, preserved lemons can be found at specialty stores, but they’re so easy to make at home that it seems silly to spend a lot of money on them (unless you need them that day!). Lemons take about three months in salt before the transformation is complete. Lemon confit is a fantastic complement to many foods; any time that lemon juice works, confit flavors will work, too. The confit is great with fish, chicken, and veal, but also with richer meats such as pork, duck, and lamb
(see BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH LEMON CONFIT).
It is delicious on salads, elevates most stews, and is a superb garnish for braised dishes. No matter how you use lemon confit, it can take a dish from delicious to extraordinary.
Traditionally, the lemons are packed in salt, though I add sugar to balance the salinity. When the lemons have cured, remove them from the salt, cut away the flesh as well as the pith, which will be mushy, leaving just the peel. It can be minced, chopped, sliced, or left in large pieces. If you’re using the peel straight, you should give it a brief soak in water to eliminate some of the saltiness. Taste and evaluate. If you’re cooking with the peel, the salt will leach into the cooking liquid.