Grandma's Juicy Pork Chops | Cooking Professionally

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 cup sugar
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 4 (2-inch) pieces orange zest
• 4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) center cut pork chops, bone-in
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup safflower oil