Lyn and I took a vacation in Booth Bay area Maine back in 2020, we rented a small cabin in a cluster. There were about 6 scattered through the property. Looking out over the harbor and eating a great meal. I had pork chop which was prepared in a Juniper berry based brined. I was so impressed that I asked the chef how he created. He quickly rattled off the ingredients and I tried to duplicate. Came close but never hit it on the nose. I tried many variations of my recipe Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary.

Anyway I became a fan of juniper berry and while searching for some Ideas I came up with this we both liked this and will ad my tweaks to our rotation. I’ll add notes as to some changes I made.

The ultimate moist and flavorful pork chops. Well worth the time! Recipe by jmjodar  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/284395/pan-roasted-juniper-and-thyme-pork-chops/

Note: First only had two thick ButcherBox pork chops so i sort of cut ingredients in halve below is the full recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic divided
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons juniper berries Steve Note: I did not cut this in half
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided Steve Note: I did not cut this in half
• 5 cups ice Steve Note: did not use Ice
• 4 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork chops Steve Note: Only had 2 chops
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Peel garlic cloves. Leave 2 cloves whole and set aside for basting. Halve the remaining 2 cloves crosswise.
2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add halved garlic cloves, salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, and 1 sprig of thyme. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Transfer to a large bowl and add ice. Stir until brine is cool. Steve Note: I had errand to run so I left on the stove t cool skipped the ice then refrigerated until ready to brine the chops. The next morning I added pork chops in plastic bag, sealed, and chilled in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.
3. Remove chops from the brine and pat dry. Discard brine.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Steve Note: just used my cast iron pan.
5. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook without turning until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until beginning to brown on the other sides, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, turning every 2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 more minutes.
6. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast, turning chops every 2 minutes, for 14 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from the oven and drain fat. Place on the stovetop over medium heat. Add butter, reserved 2 garlic cloves, and remaining sprig of thyme; cook until butter is foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Tip the skillet slightly and use a large spoon to baste the chops until butter is brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Transfer chops to the prepared rack and let rest, turning often to ensure juices are evenly distributed, about 15 minutes. Finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt.

Next time I’ll try crunching the juniper berries bringing out more of the flavor.