Quick Smoked Pork Chops
By Christie MorrisonPublished on June 3, 2014
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
PORK
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar Salt and pepper 4 (12- to 14-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, 1 ½ inches thick, trimmed2 cups wood chipsBARBECUE SAUCE
1 teaspoon vegetable oil ¼ cup grated onion 1 garlic clove, minced1 teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup ketchup ¼ cup molasses 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustardBefore You Begin
If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not brine. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the onion for the barbecue sauce. Wood chunks are not recommended for this recipe because they take too long to begin to smoke.
Instructions
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons salt in 1 1/2 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chops in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl; set aside. Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, and mustard. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside 3/4 cup barbecue sauce for serving.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Scatter soaked wood chips over coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Using large piece of heavy-duty foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season chops all over with spice mixture. Grill chops over hotter side of grill, covered (positioning lid vent over chops if using charcoal), until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
- Brush each chop with about 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce and flip sauce side down onto cooler side of grill. Grill, covered, until sauce begins to tighten, about 3 minutes. Brush chops with remaining barbecue sauce, and flip sauce side down. Continue to grill, covered, until meat near but not touching bone registers 140 degrees, about 3 minutes. Transfer chops to platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve chops with reserved barbecue sauce.
for the pork
for the barbecue sauce
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
PORK
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper
4 (12- to 14-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, 1 ½ inches thick, trimmed
2 cups wood chips
BARBECUE SAUCE
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
PORK
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper
4 (12- to 14-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, 1 ½ inches thick, trimmed
2 cups wood chips
BARBECUE SAUCE
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
PORK
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper
4 (12- to 14-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, 1 ½ inches thick, trimmed
2 cups wood chips
BARBECUE SAUCE
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Traditional barbecue involves cooking big cuts of meat over smoke for hours to develop smoky flavor. For optimal smoky flavor in our quicker-cooking thick-cut pork chops, we scatter the wood chips directly over the coals and keep the grill covered throughout cooking to trap the smoke. Brining the chops keeps them moist over high heat, and a rub of salt, pepper, and sugar adds flavor and aids in browning. After developing flavorful char on the hotter side of the grill, we move the chops to the cooler side, swab them with homemade barbecue sauce, and let them cook through while the sauce thickens and caramelizes.
Before You Begin
If the pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not brine. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the onion for the barbecue sauce. Wood chunks are not recommended for this recipe because they take too long to begin to smoke.
Instructions
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons salt in 1 1/2 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chops in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl; set aside. Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, and mustard. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside 3/4 cup barbecue sauce for serving.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Scatter soaked wood chips over coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Using large piece of heavy-duty foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season chops all over with spice mixture. Grill chops over hotter side of grill, covered (positioning lid vent over chops if using charcoal), until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
- Brush each chop with about 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce and flip sauce side down onto cooler side of grill. Grill, covered, until sauce begins to tighten, about 3 minutes. Brush chops with remaining barbecue sauce, and flip sauce side down. Continue to grill, covered, until meat near but not touching bone registers 140 degrees, about 3 minutes. Transfer chops to platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve chops with reserved barbecue sauce.
for the pork
for the barbecue sauce
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