Last Updated on March 28, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
You are missing something important in your life if you don’t eat smoked pork chops.
Smoked pork chops with a generous amount of fat on them are one of my favorite foods. It’s one of the few farmed types of meat that I really miss eating, so if I see it on a menu at a restaurant, you can bet that I’ll be ordering it. Consequently, I came to the conclusion that I needed to take action.
What to Remember When Buying Pork Chops
When making this dish, be sure to request authentic pork chops. Ideally three fingers thick, but no less than two bone chops. This is exactly what you need to prepare smoked pork chops.
You should also note that this is a recipe for smoked pork chops rather than barbecued pork chops. That is a completely different recipe. This one has no sauce; just pure smoke. And it’s incredible.
Look at all of that fat: To begin, it has such a low level of unsaturation that when you consume part of it, the heat from your tongue will cause it to melt. So delicious. Second, everything you don’t feel like eating may be rendered down into fat by placing it in a pan. If you have never prepared anything with smoked fat, your life will be lacking something important. Believe what I say about this.
Serving the Smoked Pork Chops
You can either eat your smoked pork chops straight out of the smoker for dinner, or you can let them cool and cut them into pieces to eat as knee-buckling snacks. Also, there’s no need for mustard, but if you do want to add some, you definitely can.
You may also render the fat, and use it to fry some potatoes or vegetables or add some to your rice. Or, use it in cornbread as the fat, or both. You could also make homemade flour tortillas with it as the secret ingredient.
And don’t throw the bones away! our dog can have something else for dinner. Make a fast stock with the smoked bones to cook collard greens or beans in.
Can thin pork chops be used to produce smoked pork chops? Yes, but they won’t be as good.
Optional Ingredient for Smoked Pork Chops
Moreover, for the complete effect, you need the curing salt. The chops remain rosy pink and get a little hammy. Of course, you can skip it. However, the flesh will be grayer, porkier, and less hammy. While they are both excellent, completely cured, smoked pork chops would definitely be unbeatable.
Smoked Pork Chops Recipe
| Prep Time | 10 mins |
| Cook Time | 4 hrs |
| Total Time | 4 hrs 10 mins |
| Servings | 4 |
Ingredients for Smoked Pork Chops
- 2 thick pork chops
- kosher or sea salt
- Curing salt
- 1/2 cup sugar (optional)
Instructions
- First, you need to weigh your pork chops in grams. For this recipe, you do indeed need a scale because the weight, thickness, or size of your chops are different. Once you have weighed your pork chops, multiply it by 1.25% to get the amount of sea salt, or kosher salt you need. Now, if you’re using curing salt, measure out 0.25%, or one-quarter of one percent. Add more normal salt if you’re not using curing salt.
- Massage the pork with a mixture of the salts and, if using, sugar. Then, ideally, the pork should be vacuum-sealed. Use sturdy freezer bags to package the pork chops if you don’t have a vacuum sealer. Put them in the refrigerator to cure. These chops must be cured for at least two days, and for thicker chops, you might need up to a week. Don’t worry; this salting technique keeps the pork from ever becoming overly salty. If you wanted to, you could leave the chops in there for ten days.
- Fire up the smoker when you’re ready. Any wood can do, but apple or cherry works great. Rinse the pork chops with cool water, then pat dry. They should still be damp.
- For at least four hours, smoke at 200°F. They should be thoroughly cooked inside, approximately 150°F and 160°F. hot or cold.
Notes
The provided recipe time does not include the cure time of the smoked pork chops.
