Natural grilled pork cutlets with spicy pineapple-zucchini salsa

Ingredients:

Pork

• 4 natural pork cutlets, 2.5 cm thick, on the bones (220-280 g each)
• Basic brine, recipe below
• 2/3 cup pineapple, finely diced
• 2/3 cup zucchini, finely diced
• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Chardonnay or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp finely chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon crushed jalapeño peppers
• 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

Basic brine

• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf

Preparation:

1. Place the pork chops in a glass baking dish or bowl and pour the chilled brine over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. About an hour before serving, prepare the salsa. Combine the pineapple, zucchini, mint, olive oil, Chardonnay, shallot, jalapeño, ginger, and some salt and black pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 1 hour. It's best to marinate for 1 hour, but you can also serve the salsa immediately.
3. When the pork is ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the pork chops from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and let them dry while the grill preheats.
4. Season the pork chops on all sides with salt and black pepper. Place them on a hot grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (62°C), 7-8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let the chops rest for 5 minutes, then serve with pineapple salsa.
   
   Basic brine:
   
   Combine brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and 8 cups (2 L) water in a large saucepan and heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Cool the brine thoroughly before using.