The Irresistible Allure of Pork and Fennel

The aromatic vegetable and its seeds beautifully flavor chops in this easy recipe.

'While window-shopping in the West Village the other day, I had a sudden hankering for some fine, fat pork chops. I saw them — fetchingly displayed by the Italian sausage in the refrigerated case of a neighborhood butcher shop (the kind that are sadly disappearing) — and I craved them. If there was a moment’s hesitation, let us say the chops won out.

I wasn’t yet sure how I would prepare them, but I knew that fennel would play a large role. And I knew that they would be taking at least a brief bath in a salty brine.

Pork and fennel are often companions, and the flavor combination is exceedingly delicious. As some wise cook long ago discovered, fennel’s sweet flavor and perfume pair perfectly with pork.

Think of Italian sausage, sweet or hot, which nearly always contains fennel seeds. Think of porchetta, the famous Italian pork roast, which is usually seasoned generously with fennel seeds and wild fennel fronds, along with herbs, garlic and black pepper.

As for the brine, immersing pork chops in it always improves their flavor and texture. More than just salt water, most brines contain a bit of sugar, as well as aromatics like allspice and bay leaves. (I added a teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds to mine.) For best results, let the chops soak for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/dining/pork-chops-recipe.html?

Brined Pork Chops With Fennel
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019551-brined-pork-chops-with-fennel