Fig-Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

So I still have quite a few packages of pork in my freezer from when we bought half a pig last year.  I took out some pork chops the other day and decided to see what I could do with them.

Firstly, I decided to brine them.  I've read quite a bit about brining meat (especially pork), and if it keeps the meat moist, I'm all for it.  To me, one of the worst things in the culinary world is a dry pork chop.

I didn't really measure, but I put a handful of kosher salt in the bottom of a tupperware container, then laid in my 4 chops, then added water until the chops were covered.  I stirred it around, sealed it up and left it for 24 hours.

The next day I took out the chops, rinsed and dried them, then rubbed them with olive oil and salt and pepper.  I put them to the side to come up to room temp and turned my attention to a glaze.  I love pork chops with a sweet element.

I had a jar of fig preserves in the ice box, so I put a few tablespoons of that in a small saucepan, then added a few glugs of inexpensive balsamic vinegar.  I put it over medium-low heat and let it sit and simmer until the chops were done.

The chops were thrown on a medium high grill for about 4 minutes a side. Right before I pulled them off the grill, I painted them with the fig/balsamic reduction.   I think they could have come off a little earlier.

On the side I whipped up a quinoa-veggie salad and dressed it with a citrus vinaigrette.  I seem to remember mixing cooked quinoa, cucumber, feta, tomato and fresh mushrooms.

This meal did not suck.  I will make it again.  Mostly because I still have tons of pork chops in my freezer!