Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Garlic and Greens

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 bay leaves, broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, lightly crushed
• 1 sprig thyme
• 4 wide strips of lemon peel, made with a vegetable peeler
• 4 rib pork chops, preferably bone-in
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 8 to 12 sage leaves
• 4 lemon slices
• 4 big handfuls stemmed greens, coarsely chopped, rinsed, even if "prewashed" and prepackaged.

Directions

1. At least 8 hours before cooking, make the brine. In a small saucepan, stir together 1 cup of the water with the sugar, salt, bay leaves, coriander seed, thyme, and lemon peel. Set it over medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Take the pan off the heat.
2. Add 2 to 3 cups of ice cubes to a 4-cup measuring cup, then pour in enough cold water to reach 4 cups total. Stir this into the saucepan of brine until the ice is fully melted, which cools everything down quickly.
3. Put the chops in a 1-gallon zipper freezer bag, then set the bag inside a bowl to catch any leaks. Pour in the cooled brine, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours, or for up to 2 days. When you are ready to cook, take the chops out of the brine and dry them well with a paper towel. Put another paper towel on a small plate for the sage leaves and lemon slices.
4. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chops and sear for 2 minutes per side, just until they begin to brown. Keep cooking, flipping them about every minute, for about 4 to 6 minutes more, until the chops are richly browned and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 135ºF.
5. The full cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the chops are. Move the chops to a plate, tent them loosely with foil so they stay warm, and rest them for at least 5 minutes. As they sit, the temperature will rise to 145 degrees F, the recommended temperature for cooked pork.
6. Pour off the fat from the skillet, leaving 3 tablespoons behind. Put the pan back on the heat, then add the sage leaves, garlic, and lemon slices.
7. Tip the skillet so the drippings gather on one side, and slide the sage leaves into that fat. Fry them for 20 to 30 seconds, until crisp, then move them to the paper towel-lined plate.
8. Set the skillet level on the burner again and keep cooking the garlic and lemon slices, turning them frequently, for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the lemon is charred.
9. Transfer the garlic and lemon slices to the plate with the sage. Throw away the garlic and keep the lemon slices for topping the chops.
10. With the skillet over medium-high heat, add the greens, along with whatever water is still on their leaves. Cook, turning them often, for 3 to 4 minutes, until wilted.
11. Divide the greens among the plates. Set a pork chop on top of each portion, add a lemon slice and some crisp sage leaves, and serve.