Pan-seared center-cut pork chops can be a nice splurge for a main — and what drew me to them was their ease of cooking. But to ensure they remain juicy and succulent, a simple brine comes in handy. Mix it up — it’s just a watery solution of salt, sugar and aromatics — and submerge the chops for a short period or overnight. Even a couple of hours’ brining will achieve tender and tasty results.

For easy effect, sizzle soft medjool dates with butter and sage leaves to spoon over the finished chops, which gives them a blast of sweet-salty flavor. (If you can’t find dates, pitted prunes make a good substitute.) Parsnips work well as an accompaniment, but so would sweet potato or roasted squash. The date-and-brown-butter treatment tastes good with them, too.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Sage, Dates and Parsnips

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more for boiling

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 large thyme sprig

• 4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds)

• 2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 tablespoons salted butter

• 12 large sage leaves

• 12 pitted medjool dates, halved

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste

Directions:

Brine the chops: Put salt and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in 4 cups water to dissolve. Add thyme sprig and pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. When ready to cook, remove chops from brine and pat dry.

Discard brine.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put a large pot of well-salted water over high heat. When it boils, add parsnips and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook until parsnips are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain parsnips and keep warm.

Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is wavy, sear chops until nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side. (Work in batches if you don’t have a large skillet.)

Transfer chops to a roasting pan or sheet pan in one layer. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until meat is 140 degrees when probed with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and let rest while you make the sauce.

Wipe out the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add butter and let it begin to brown. Add sage leaves and dates, and let sizzle for about a minute. Add pepper and lemon juice, and pull off heat. Taste, and add more pepper or lemon to taste.

To serve, place chops and a spoonful of parsnips on warm plates. Spoon butter mixture over chops and parsnips.

Total time: 30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours’ brining; serves 4.

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