Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
- 2 whole juniper berries
- 6 whole black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 5 heaping tablespoons pumpkin puree or 1 medium pumpkin seeded, roasted, peeled and pureed
- 4 thick cut pork chops
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients except for the pork chops in a large heavy bottom and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once dissolved and cooled to room temperature place the pork chops in the brine and set over night under refrigeration.
For the BBQ sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pot and cook on medium heat and cook until bubbly and well combined. Allow to cool and place in a air tight container until ready to use. This sauce will keep for one week.
The next day, remove the pork chops from the brine and set to air dry. Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium heat and cook the pork chops to desired doneness. Halfway through the cooking process, start basting the pork chops with the bbq sauce. Pull the chops from the grill and allow to rest for 5-6 minutes.
