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Smoked Pork Chops

There's nothing like Smoked Pork Chops to enjoy on a Summer or Fall BBQ. Pork loin is economical cut of meat, coming in less expensive than Baby Back Ribs. Purchasing a whole pork loin on sale between $2.50 to $3.00 per pound. Now days Baby Back Ribs are $3.00 to $4.99 a pound. You get a lot of meat per pound with pork loin than Baby Back Ribs. So this recipe will produce a wonderfully tasty smoked pork chop that not too hard to prepare. But takes sometime loving time in curing process and the smoking process. Oh the results is so good you'll smack your lips with joy.

Pork Curing Brine:

First step is to make a simple curing brine that consists of water, curing salt, pickling spices and some hot pepper flakes. Ratio is 1 cup water, 1/4 cup Mortan QuickTender Curing Salt, 1 tbsp sugar in the raw and 1 tbsp pickling spice and 1/2 to 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes. Stirring this mixture in Pyrex measure until all curing salt and sugar is dissolved into water with spices.

Curing Brine for pork
Morton Tender Quick curing salt, water, sugar in the raw, hot chili pepper flakes.

Second step is to cut pork loin into two pieces with boning knife, this makes pork more manageable. Using meat tenderizer like Deni Meat Tenderizer dock lots of small slits into meat.

Deni Meat Tenderizer
Put 49 slits into meat to help tenderizer and provide channels for marinate and curing brine.

Wet curing pork loin:

Next make a vacuum bag to fit pork loin about 18 to 20 inches in length. Using 11" wide roll of vacuum bag cutting proper length to allowing 3 inches longer than than pork loin length. Seal the one end of the cut length, making sure good solid seal. Then place pork tenderized pork loin into bag and pour the curing liquid into bag with pork loin. Vacuum just enough air out of the bag without sucking too much liquid into vacuum machine. Hit seal button twice to make sure solid seal achieved. Label the package and refrigerate for 5 to 6 days to cure. Do this process again with second piece of pork. Turn the pork over in at least one time during the curing process. Be sure to keep the curing pork loin refrigerated through whole process.

Curing Pork Loin in vacuum bag
Curing Brine with pork loin in vacuum bag.

Setting up smoker us Big Green Egg:

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Smoked Cured Pork Loin Chops - Brine cured pork loin smoked in Big Green Egg or Smoker of choice. This moist tender pork with smoky tasting almost like ham. After being smoked they can be cut into thick or thin chops, vacuum package refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen for year. - Brine Cure Pork Loin:: pork loin, water (divided), Morton Quick & tender Salt (divided), pickling spices (divided), chili flakes (divided), Turbinado sugar (divided), Smoking Cured Pork Loin:: Wood Chips (soaked in warm water), lump charcoal, beer (for drip pan), , Brine Curing Pork Loins:: Cut pork loin half to make to pieces. ; Using meat tenderizer like Deni tenderizer punching many times over both sides of pork loin. Continue to do the same process with other piece of tenderloin.; Combine 1 cup water, with 1/4 cup Morton QuickTender Cure, 2 tbsp Turbinado sugar, 1 tbsp pickling spice, 1/2 tsp chili flakes. Stirring until all the cure and sugar is dissolved. This will be done again for the second piece of pork loin.; Cut two pieces of vacuum bag to right length to fit the size of pork loin pieces. Allow sealing space so make 3 inches longer then length of pork pieces. Seal one end of the bag.; Double seal one end of the vacuum bag to make sure there's a good seal. Then place pork loin in one bag and pour the liquid curing mixture into bag. Vacuum seal just enough to remove all air out of the bag. Caution do not try to over vacuum and suck too much curing liquid into vacuum sealer. Double seal bag to make sure good seal.; This what a good vacuum sealed curing pork loin should look like. Do this process for both pieces of pork loin. Then refrigerate for 5 to 6 days for pork loin to cure.; Smoking Cured Pork Loins:: Before starting coals soak wood chips with warm water in gallon zip lock bag. Like apple wood or cherry wood chips.; First load enough lump charcoal with electric heat starting in center of coals. Allow about 10 minutes for lump charcoal to get started. Do not allow the coals to get too hot just a nice white coals by starter coil. Remove starter.; Add a few handfuls of soaked wood chips to top of lump charcoal. Than place plate setter over coals with dip pan with beer in center.; Place the grilling grate over top of plate setter. And attach smoke probe to grate.; Place both cured pork loins centered over drip pan on grate.; Stick prob into center of one pork loin to check internal temperatures. Set Thermoworks Signal smoke temperature setting low 145°F high 325°f and pork loin setting low 40°F high 165°F.; Adjust the top vent and bottom vent on Big Green Egg so the smoke temperature slowly gets to 225° F for good 1 1/2 hours. ; Add more soaked wood chips about 1 hour into smoking process. Check to see smoke color on pork loins.; About 1 1/2 hours into smoking pork, adjust the vents open about half way to increase smoke heat over 250° to 325°F. This will help generate more smoke and give pork loin nice smoke color. Also start cooking pork loin faster.; When the internal temperature of the smoked pork loin reaches 150 to 155° open lid check color of pork. Remove probes from pork loin and grate.; Place pork onto platters and cover with foil for 15 to 30 minutes to rest and finish cooking.; After resting if you like slice 1/4 thick slices of smoked pork loin and serve with sides.; Sliced smoked pork loin with fresh corn on the Cobb. With drizzle of Black Raspberry BBQ Sauce.; Cutting Smoked Pork Loins into chops:: Wrap smoked pork loins with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. ; Cut smoked pork loins into chops with boning knife. ; Using scale try to get pork chops between 5 to 6 ounces pork chops. This can be challenging because the eye of pork changes in size as cut.; Place smoked pork chops in vacuum bags and seal. Double seal bags to insure a good seal.; Properly sealed bag should be labeled and dated. These can be refrigerated for 3 weeks or frozen for at least one year. ; Grill smoked pork chops on griddle or BBQ grill until nice golden brown on both sides. This presentation has cauliflower mashed potatoes, sautéed corn with black raspberry bbq sauce drizzle.; - <p>The smoked pork loin can be sliced and served hot right off smoker after meat rests for 1/2 hour. And the remaining smoked pork loin can be cut into chops after smoked pork loin refrigerate for good 12 hours. Suggest cutting chops at about 5 to 6 ounces. Vacuum package and freezing for enjoyment over years time.</p> - Main Dish - American - Creative Foods - Recipes - Italian Spice Seasoning - Smoked Pork Chops[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
Chef Dave Dettman
Creative foods by Chef Dave Dettman