My aunt's 30 minute marinade tip actually worked, even on cheap pork chops

She told me to just do soy sauce, brown sugar, and a splash of vinegar for half an hour before searing, and my $4 chops from Aldi came out juicier than the ones I dry brined overnight, has anyone else found that short marinades beat the long ones sometimes?

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coleman.seth9d ago

Wow, that's wild! I actually read something similar in a cooking article a while back about how acid in a quick marinade can break down the outside of the meat fast, which makes it feel juicier when you sear it. A long soak can actually make the texture mushy or weird if you're not careful, especially with thinner cuts. Plus, the sugar in that mix caramelizes on the pan, which gives you that nice crust that locks in flavor. I think the biggest trick is that your pork chops aren't sitting in salt overnight and drawing out all the moisture. You got a keeper trick there, cheap meat needs all the help it can get.