Leaner cuts of pork chops and boneless, skinless chicken breasts are two of the few things I brine these days; and I only brine when I'm planning to grill.

The lack of fat combined with the heat of a grill are drying agents, and the brining injects juiciness to the meat. (Note that if sodium is a concern, brining would not be a good choice for you.)

This is one of my favorite recipes for brine and it's wonderful with thick, juicy chops.

Brine Time: 3 hours
Time: 35 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 2 thick pork chops

Ingredients

1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed with the broad side of a chef knife
2 small bay leaves
2 bone-in pork chops, at least 1-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon freshly lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 cup hot water. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and 1 1/2 cups of very cold ice. (Note: Brine should be cold before inserting pork chops.)
2. Place pork chops in a large nonreactive container or extra-large resealable plastic bag. Cover with brine and allow to brine at least 1 1/2 hours but no longer than 3 hours.
In a small bowl, combine garlic, lemon zest and juice, pepper, rosemary and olive oil. Mash together with the back of a spoon.
3. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to high heat.
4. Remove chops from brine. Pat dry with paper towels. Spread paste on both side of chops. Grill 2-3 minutes per side to sear. Reduce heat or move to a cooler section of the grill and continue grilling 8-10 minutes per side.
5. Remove from grill and tent with foil. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Peggy Lampman is a real-time food writer and photographer posting daily feeds on her website and in the Food & Grocery section of Annarbor.com. You may also e-mail her at peggy@dinnerfeed.com.