Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Kosher salt
  3        tablespoons  sugar
  1                cup  hot water
  3               cups  cold water
  1           teaspoon  dried thyme
  1           teaspoon  crushed juniper berries
     1/2      teaspoon  cracked coriander seeds
     1/2      teaspoon  cracked peppercorns
     1/4      teaspoon  dried sage
  2                     bay leaves -- crumbled
  4                     pork rib chops -- (1 1/4 -inch-thick
                        center-cut)
  1 1/2    tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
                        Freshly ground pepper
  1                cup  chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
  2        tablespoons  dry white wine
  1                cup  tomato sauce
     1/4           cup  orange juice
  1                     garlic clove -- smashed
  8                     cracked green olives -- pitted and coarsely
                        chopped
  2          teaspoons  finely chopped basil -- mint and flat-leaf
                        parsley

Preparation:

1. In a large stainless steel bowl or plastic container, combine 1/4 cup of salt with the sugar and hot water and stir until dissolved. Add the cold water, thyme, juniper berries, coriander seeds, peppercorns, sage and bay leaves. Put the chops in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, turning them occasionally. 2. Discard the brine. Pick any whole spices off the pork chops and discard. Pat the chops dry with paper towels. 3. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet until it shimmers. Add the pork chops and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chops to a plate and season with salt and pepper. 4. Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, orange juice and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. 5. Return the pork chops to the skillet, turn to coat with the sauce and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the pork is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chops to a platter, cover and keep warm. 6. Add the olives to the sauce and cook over high heat until reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in the herbs and pour the sauce over the chops. The French island of Corsica is famous for strongly flavored herbs, a product of hot sun, dry earth and fresh sea air. Here is a dish from that island that I often serve at this time of year--sautéed pork chops. I use the herbs in a novel way, adding them to a salty brine so that their flavors penetrate the meat. Brining adds moisture to today's lean meat, keeping it succulent during cooking. The pork chops need to soak in the brine for at least 24 hours. SERVINGS:

Nutritional Information:

455 Calories (kcal); 21g Total Fat; (40% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1515mg Sodium