Benji's Pork Chops with Grapefruit Relish

Prepare the Brine: In a large glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the water, orange juice, 1/2 cup salt, light brown sugar, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme until the salt and sugar are dissolved. (2 minutes)

Brine the Pork: Submerge the pork chops completely in the brine. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor. (1 to 2 hours)

Make the Grapefruit Relish: In a medium saucepan, combine the grapefruit juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. (5 minutes)

Simmer the Relish: Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the mixture thickens slightly and becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes. (15 minutes)

Reserve Relish: Remove 3 tablespoons of the grapefruit syrup and set aside. This will be used to glaze the pork chops.

Add Grapefruit Segments: Add half of the grapefruit sections to the remaining syrup mixture in the saucepan. Cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the grapefruit to soften slightly and infuse the syrup with its flavor. (5-10 minutes)

Preheat Broiler: Preheat your oven's broiler and position the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.

Prepare Pork Chops: Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them completely dry with paper towels. This ensures a good sear under the broiler.

Glaze and Season: Place the pork chops on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush both sides of the chops generously with the reserved grapefruit juice syrup. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Broil the Pork: Broil the pork chops for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through and no longer pink in the center. The internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chop. (14-20 minutes)

Assemble and Serve: Arrange the remaining fresh grapefruit sections attractively over the cooked pork chops. Drizzle the warm grapefruit relish generously over the top. Serve immediately.