First things first, I just finished supper and I am miserible! That has to be the very best chop I have ever cooked! Now, let me try and remember how I did it.
Monday night I fried the most beautiful pork chops you ever saw! I was impressed. They were slightly smaller than a porterhouse and thicker cut than most! Lordy, Lordy, Lordy!
I tell everyone to brine what they like or feel like trying. No exacts but this was Canning salt, Brown sugar, White sugar, Ground Chipolte, ground ginger, ground corriander, some Grade B Maple syrup, Thyme, and Maple extract! It was a sweet brine, a maple sweet brine, with just a little kick. It was awesome sauce! I let it ride for 4, thats right 4 days in the reefer.
Took it out, washed or I guess what I did was a rinse, then fanned it completely dry. Look how big and pretty those chops are!
So while drying I decided I wanted Mac & Cheese with it. I love Mac and Cheese, and after Chopping up something hoping for a COLD night tomorrow night as promised by the weatherman, I had the 'Jones' (and it weren't a basketball type). But that's another post. If it ever cools off!
While in the reefer its hard to miss the irressistable small of this last andouille. I think to myself, Self I say, As good as that smells I wonder how that would taste in Mac & Cheese.
OK, I have three good cheeses I can grate and that andouille would just really add to the flavor if I chopped just a little piece and threw in with the Mac to boil. OMG! That aroma, I put a touch behind each ear!
There are so many ways to make mac & cheese, and I love 'em all.... this one I'll bake layered.
So you layer mac, then cheese, then mac, then cheese, rinse and repeat. In the process the middle layer add some salt if you are not using a salt cheese. Then in the end pour over something to make a custard. You can use just milk, milk & eggs, cream, you know what a simple custard is. Usually I use a bit of ground mustard and tabasco sauce ( it seriously tastes like cheese) but this time I wanted to see the andouille and those good cheeses.
When I pulled the Mac & Cheese..... I started readying for the chops. That way the mac could soak up and absorb all those great evaporated milk and andouille juices.
Sorry, I didn't feel like firing up the pit so I just grilled 'em inside. Three mins on each side and 5 mins in a 500 degree oven.
Ok, I must appoligize for the pictures. Seems when taking the one of the raw Mac & Cheese in the oven above, it steamed the center of my lens. I have since cleaned it and hope it will be all better by time to try smoking the chesse tomorrow night.
Bear View, grilled maple brined pork chop, three cheese andouille baked macaroni, and a tossed salad.
Everything was good, the pork chop was awesome, and the mac & cheese weren't bad either!
You really need to try both when you get a chance.
Monday night I fried the most beautiful pork chops you ever saw! I was impressed. They were slightly smaller than a porterhouse and thicker cut than most! Lordy, Lordy, Lordy!
I tell everyone to brine what they like or feel like trying. No exacts but this was Canning salt, Brown sugar, White sugar, Ground Chipolte, ground ginger, ground corriander, some Grade B Maple syrup, Thyme, and Maple extract! It was a sweet brine, a maple sweet brine, with just a little kick. It was awesome sauce! I let it ride for 4, thats right 4 days in the reefer.
Took it out, washed or I guess what I did was a rinse, then fanned it completely dry. Look how big and pretty those chops are!
So while drying I decided I wanted Mac & Cheese with it. I love Mac and Cheese, and after Chopping up something hoping for a COLD night tomorrow night as promised by the weatherman, I had the 'Jones' (and it weren't a basketball type). But that's another post. If it ever cools off!
While in the reefer its hard to miss the irressistable small of this last andouille. I think to myself, Self I say, As good as that smells I wonder how that would taste in Mac & Cheese.
OK, I have three good cheeses I can grate and that andouille would just really add to the flavor if I chopped just a little piece and threw in with the Mac to boil. OMG! That aroma, I put a touch behind each ear!
There are so many ways to make mac & cheese, and I love 'em all.... this one I'll bake layered.
So you layer mac, then cheese, then mac, then cheese, rinse and repeat. In the process the middle layer add some salt if you are not using a salt cheese. Then in the end pour over something to make a custard. You can use just milk, milk & eggs, cream, you know what a simple custard is. Usually I use a bit of ground mustard and tabasco sauce ( it seriously tastes like cheese) but this time I wanted to see the andouille and those good cheeses.
When I pulled the Mac & Cheese..... I started readying for the chops. That way the mac could soak up and absorb all those great evaporated milk and andouille juices.
Sorry, I didn't feel like firing up the pit so I just grilled 'em inside. Three mins on each side and 5 mins in a 500 degree oven.
Ok, I must appoligize for the pictures. Seems when taking the one of the raw Mac & Cheese in the oven above, it steamed the center of my lens. I have since cleaned it and hope it will be all better by time to try smoking the chesse tomorrow night.
Bear View, grilled maple brined pork chop, three cheese andouille baked macaroni, and a tossed salad.
Everything was good, the pork chop was awesome, and the mac & cheese weren't bad either!
You really need to try both when you get a chance.