Brined seared pork chops braised in roasted tomatillo sauce with poblano and cactus

Put a quart of very hot tap water in a two-quart measure; add half a cup of salt and a quarter cup of sugar and stir until mostly dissolved.

Fill to eight cups with cold water to bring the brine to about room temperature.

Lay the chops in a 9 by 13 baking dish (not aluminum) and pour over the brine to cover completely.

Brine the thin chops 30 minutes.

Brine the thick chops one hour, on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Husk the tomatillos; quarter the poblanos, remove the seed pods and seeds and press flat; cut half an onion into smallish pieces; lay everything on a sheet with the garlic.

Clean the cactus: cut off the thick end, cut around the edge to remove the spines, then scrape off the nodes on both sides with the knife held perpendicular; check none remain.

Drizzle the cactus with a little olive oil and brush on both sides; nothing else is oiled.

Broil and check after six or seven minutes; remove the poblanos when blistered and blackened and the cactus when olive-coloured, limp and browned; return the rest a couple more minutes until the garlic is soft.

Peel the blackened skin off the poblanos as they cool.

Put the tomatillos, onion and peeled garlic in the blender and blend to a medium-smooth puree with a little texture.

Take the chops from the brine and dry them very thoroughly with paper towels.

Heat a 12-inch cast iron pan over medium-high about five minutes with pork lard until a wisp of smoke appears.

Brown the chops about three minutes a side to golden brown.

Move them to a rack set on a quarter sheet pan so they do not sit in their juices.

Pour the puree into the hot pan to sear it; stir a couple of minutes as it reduces and thickens.

When the cactus is completely cool, cut into about half-inch pieces.

Add a couple of cups of chicken broth, a couple of big sprigs of epazote, the poblanos and the cactus; season with salt, not too much since the pork is brined.

Bring to a full simmer, then turn down to a bare simmer.

Slide in the thick chops, cover (a half sheet pan works) and cook five minutes; flip them and add the thin chops to rewarm, on the lowest heat.

Cook until about 150 in the middle of a thick chop.

Cut the meat away from the bone and slice crosswise on an angle.

Plate with rustic mashed potatoes, a couple of ladles of sauce, the bone and the sliced pork against it; drizzle more sauce on top and nestle in a couple of epazote leaves.