Chai-Brined Pork Chops With Apple Chutney

• 6 cups cool water
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 (2-inch) piece cinnamon stick or cassia bark
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into coins
• 12 black tea bags
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 2 center-cut bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted yellow butter
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• kosher salt
• 4 medium Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 cup whiskey or rum
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ghee, for searing the chops

1. Bring 3 cups of the water to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, coarsely grind the cardamom, fennel and cinnamon in a spice grinder.
3. When the water has come to a boil, turn off the heat, sprinkle in the spice mixture and add the ginger coins and the tea bags.
4. Let the whole lot steep for about 10 minutes.
5. Then pluck out the tea bags, but leave the spices and ginger in the tea.
6. Dissolve the salt and sugar in the tea, then pour the mixture into a very large nonreactive bowl.
7. Stir in the ice cubes until the brine is quite cold.
8. Stir in the remaining 3 cups cool water, then nestle the pork chops in the brine; top with a plate to keep them submerged, if necessary.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or up to overnight.

water, green cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, fresh ginger, black tea bags, kosher salt, granulated sugar, center, ghee, fennel seeds, yellow onion, kosher salt, apples, garam masala, whiskey, fresh ginger, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, ghee

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/chai-brined-pork-chops-with-apple-chutney-recipe/ (may not work)