The Leftovers’ Award-Winning Pork Chops

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

BRINE 2 quarts distilled water ½ cup salt ½ cup sugar PORK CHOPS 6 boneless pork loin chops cut at

least 1-inch thick Chupacabra seasoning (see note) Daigle’s Pecan Garlic BBQ Sauce

Instructions: For the brine: Mix brine ingredients until salt and sugar is dissolved. Add any other aromatics if you like, such as black peppercorns or orange peel. Place brine in freezer until ice cold, but don’t let it freeze. For the pork chops: Rinse pork chops and place in brine in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Refrigerate bag for 1-2 hours. Heat the grill to medium-high, 375400 degrees. Remove chops from brine and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of chops with a light coating of Chupacabra seasoning, and let the chops sit out on a board or baking sheet until the chop looks wet and the seasoning looks like a paste, about 10 minutes. Place the chops on the grill and close the lid. Turn chops after 2 minutes to set your grill marks and close the lid, letting cook another 2 minutes. Flip the chops and baste with a layer of barbecue sauce on one side. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, flip and apply sauce to the other side of the chops, cooking for another 2 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chops; once they hit 137-140 degrees, they are done, as they will continue to cook off the heat. Remove from heat and sprinkle with another light coat of Chupacabra seasoning. Tip: To save money and control thickness, buy a whole pork loin and cut the chops yourself instead of buying them pre-cut. Nutrition per serving: 505 calories, 31 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 171 mg cholesterol, 162 mg sodium, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar, 52 g protein

Note: Chupacabra is a made-in-Texas seasoning available at most H-E-B stores.