Instructions

1. Choose a beer with the flavors you wish to have in your dish. If you wouldn’t drink it, do not put it in your food. During the cooking process, many of the flavors in the beer become concentrated. So if you hate the taste of chocolate stout, it is very unlikely you will like the taste of cooked and concentrated chocolate stout.

2. Cook off the alcohol in the beer before using it in the brine. Raw alcohol in your brine will actually “cook” the pork chops, leading to harsh, off-flavors and poor texture. Pour the beer into a wide saucepan or saucier and bring it to a boil. After boiling for two to three minutes, tilt the pan to the side -- away from the burner-- and attempt to carefully light the beer with a long-handled lighter. If no flames appear, the alcohol has cooked away.

3. Measure the remaining beer in the pan to determine the proper amount of salt to add to your brine; some of the liquid will have evaporated during boiling. The proper salt-to-liquid ratio depends on the type of salt you plan to use. For example, "Cook's Illustrated" recommends ½ cup of kosher salt or ¼ cup of standard table salt per quart of cold liquid. If you will be using a high-temperature method to cook your pork chops -- like grilling, broiling or high heat roasting -- cut the amount of salt in half.

4. Combine the beer and the salt, then stir vigorously until the salt is incorporated into the solution. Place the brine in the refrigerator and allow it to cool to at least room temperature.

5. Place the pork chops into a large zip-lock bag, add the brine and place them in refrigerator. Brine the chops in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. If pork chops are larger than 8 ounces each, brine them for at least one hour per pound. Do not brine the chops for more than eight hours.

6. Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and pat-dry with paper towels. Place the pork chops on a plate or other clean work surface for at least 30 minutes to allow the chops to come to room temperature before cooking.

7. Choose a proper cooking style for your type of chops. For thin pork chops -- typically those that weigh less than 8 ounces -- high heat methods like pan frying or direct grilling work well. For thicker chops, go with a two-stage cooking method. First sear the chops with high heat, then move the chops to a 450-degree oven or over indirect heat on your grill to finish.