Oak & Cherry Smoked Pork Chops

Up until recently, I've not been a fan of pork chops. Just about every pork chop I've been served, as well as the ones I used to cook were always overdone. That all changed when: 1. We started buying really nice thick marbled chops, and 2. I pull them when the internal temp reaches 145, no lower or higher. Like chicken breasts, pork chops have this narrow temperature window that if you're in the range, you'll get a perfectly moist and juicy chop, or if you miss the window by just 5 degrees, you get a dry and tough chop.

So The Missus picked these up at a local ethnic specialty market the other day - I couldn't believe they were only $2 each:



As soon as I saw them, I knew we were in for a treat! I seasoned them liberally with Simply Marvelous pecan and Rub Company Original:



Fired up the oval and added some oak & cherry:



Put the chops on indirect so they could get a nice dose of smoke:



Turned them after 10 mins:



After another 10 mins, I put them on the hot side:



When the chops reached 140, I stood them up bone side down so the meat near the bone could cook a bit more:



After letting the chops rest for 10 mins, we served them with sauteed kale from the garden and brown rice:



Sorry for the lame fork shot - I was really hungry and wanted to dig in! They were fantastic, and the combination of these two rubs was super tasty.

Gore said:

Looks great Moose. Have you thought about those for the lesser-known-cuts throwdown?

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What was I thinking? :doh:

I could have entered these instead of that silly hanger steak I submitted.

Ron_L said:

Great looking chops!

Next time try brining them. I use 1/3 cup Morton Kosher Salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup soy or worcestershire (I alternate) and a couple of tablespoons of what ever rub I am going to use mixed into 1 quart of water (I use hot water and dissolve the dry ingredients) and one quart of apple juice. Brine the chops for an hour then rinse and dry and let them rest for another hour.

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Thanks for the tip, Ron. I plan on giving this a try!