Irish Breakfast Tea Glazed Pork Chops with Buttery Carrots
English
Chapter 5: The Modern Irish American Pantry (Trader Joe's Hacks)
There is a profound, undeniable dignity to a thick bone-in pork chop. It is working-class food, the kind of deeply satisfying, sustaining meal that anchors a long day. We are taking a cue from the American South here with a sweet tea brine, but hijacking it with the aggressive, uncompromising tannins of an Irish Breakfast blend to tear down the muscle and tenderize the meat. Paired with sweet, simple carrots drowning in good grass-fed butter—a humble nod to the classic Slieve Na mBan—it is a dish that demands zero pretense and delivers pure, unapologetic comfort.
Before you start
Boil two cups of water and steep four tea bags with brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, and smashed garlic.
Stir until the salt and sugar completely dissolve, letting the mixture steep for ten minutes.
Add two cups of ice-cold water to the mixture to cool the brine rapidly.
Discard the tea bags and ensure the liquid is at room temperature or colder before introducing the meat.
Submerge the pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for at least four hours.
You can leave them for up to twelve hours for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Ingredients
- water, divided4 cups
- Trader Joe's Original Irish Breakfast Tea bags4
- dark brown sugar, packed1/3 cup
- kosher salt1/4 cup
- whole black peppercorns1 teaspoon
- garlic cloves, smashed3
- thick-cut, bone-in pork chops4
- water1 cup
- Trader Joe's Original Irish Breakfast Tea bags2
- dark brown sugar, packed1/3 cup
- apple cider vinegar2 tablespoons
- soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon
- garlic clove, minced1
- Trader Joe's organic baby carrots16 oz
- Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, salted3 tablespoons
- fresh parsley, finely chopped1/4 cup
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
- neutral cooking oil1 tablespoon
Method
- 01
Simmer one cup of water with two tea bags for five minutes to extract the base flavors of the glaze.
Remove the bags, squeeze out the excess liquid, and return the pan to the heat to whisk in the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and minced garlic.
- 02
Reduce the liquid over medium heat until it becomes thick and syrupy.
Let it bubble away for fifteen to twenty minutes until it coats the back of a spoon beautifully, then set it aside.
- 03
Boil the baby carrots in a medium saucepan until they are easily pierced with a fork.
This usually takes fifteen to twenty minutes; drain the water completely when they are done.
- 04
Toss the hot carrots with the Kerrygold butter in the empty, warm saucepan.
The residual heat of the pot will melt the butter into a golden pool; season them generously with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, then cover to keep warm.
- 05
Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
A dry surface is absolutely critical for developing a proper crust in the pan.
- 06
Sear the pork chops in a heavy cast-iron skillet with shimmering oil for four to five minutes per side.
Do not move them while they cook; just let the heat do its job and build a rich crust.
- 07
Turn the heat down to low, brush the chops generously with the tea glaze, and flip to caramelize.
Cook for another minute or two until a thermometer hits 145 degrees Fahrenheit, being careful not to let the sugars burn against the hot pan.
- 08
Transfer the pork chops to a platter and let them rest for five minutes before serving alongside the buttery carrots.
Resting allows the muscle fibers to relax and redistribute the juices throughout the meat.
Notes
The secret to the carrots is letting the superior quality of the butter do the heavy lifting.
Traditional Slieve Na mBan carrots use tempered egg yolks and cream, but generous amounts of Kerrygold replicate that richness without the fuss.
Do not over-steep the tea bags.
Irish Breakfast tea is notoriously robust, and pushing it past ten minutes will introduce bitter notes that overpower the delicate sweetness of the pork.
From The Irish American Table.