Texas Thick-Cut Smoked Pork Chops
By Ashley MoorePublished on April 17, 2016
Time
2½ hours, plus 1 hour brining
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pork
Kosher salt and pepper 3 tablespoons sugar 4 (18- to 20-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 2 inches thick2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 cups mesquite wood chipsBarbecue Sauce
2 slices bacon ¼ cup grated onion Kosher salt and pepper ¾ cup cider vinegar 1 ¼ cups chicken broth 1 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons hot sauce ½ teaspoon liquid smokeBefore You Begin
Each chop can easily serve two people. Grate the onion for the sauce on the large holes of a box grater. Our preferred hot sauce is Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. If you’d like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute two medium chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, for the wood chip packet.
Instructions
- Dissolve 6 tablespoons salt and sugar in 1½ quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chops in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine onion powder, granulated garlic, 1½ tablespoons salt, and 2 tablespoons pepper in bowl; set aside.
- Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat until fat begins to render and bacon begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, ketchup, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season chops all over with reserved spice mixture.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Place wood chip packet on 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: 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 medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature around 325 degrees.)
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Arrange chops on cooler side of grill with bone ends toward fire. Cook, covered (positioning lid vent over chops if using charcoal), until chops register 140 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
- Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Brush chops generously with warm sauce and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
for the pork
for the barbecue sauce
Time
2½ hours, plus 1 hour briningYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Pork
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
4 (18- to 20-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 2 inches thick
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 cups mesquite wood chips
Barbecue Sauce
2 slices bacon
¼ cup grated onion
Kosher salt and pepper
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hot sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
4 (18- to 20-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 2 inches thick
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 cups mesquite wood chips
Barbecue Sauce
2 slices bacon
¼ cup grated onion
Kosher salt and pepper
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hot sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
4 (18- to 20-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 2 inches thick
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 cups mesquite wood chips
Barbecue Sauce
2 slices bacon
¼ cup grated onion
Kosher salt and pepper
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hot sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is inspired by the version we tried at Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que; read about our visit here. To achieve perfectly smoked chops, we bought the thickest ones we could find to ensure that they wouldn’t overcook during the 45 to 50 minutes they’d be the grill. For authentic Texas Hill Country flavor, we used mesquite chips. To add flavor as well as retain moisture, we brined the chops in a solution of salt, sugar, and water. We finished the chops by brushing them with a pungent and bright homemade barbecue sauce.
Before You Begin
Each chop can easily serve two people. Grate the onion for the sauce on the large holes of a box grater. Our preferred hot sauce is Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. If you’d like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute two medium chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, for the wood chip packet.
Instructions
- Dissolve 6 tablespoons salt and sugar in 1½ quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chops in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine onion powder, granulated garlic, 1½ tablespoons salt, and 2 tablespoons pepper in bowl; set aside.
- Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat until fat begins to render and bacon begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, ketchup, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season chops all over with reserved spice mixture.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Place wood chip packet on 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: 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 medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature around 325 degrees.)
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Arrange chops on cooler side of grill with bone ends toward fire. Cook, covered (positioning lid vent over chops if using charcoal), until chops register 140 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
- Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Brush chops generously with warm sauce and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
for the pork
for the barbecue sauce
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