smoked pork chops

Not all meats on the smoker require several hours of cooking and sleepless nights, or a lot of preparation. For those times when I’m time poor and I need an easy “go to” that doesn’t take too long to prep or cook, I’ll often go with some smoked pork chops.

Smoked Pork Chops done right are deliciously tender and juicy, smoky and tangy. These will be a hit with the entire family, I assure you! And you can pretend you slaved over this forever too.

 

affordable and available

 

Pork loin chops (often referred to simply as pork chops) are super affordable and readily available at your local grocery store or supermarket as well as any good butcher (just like another post – Chuck Roast Burnt Ends!). Resist going for the marinated portions.  Go for chops that retain some of the fat cap if possible to help keep it juicy (you can remove it before eating if you wish). I normally go for the bone-in chops. Boneless would work just as well and shouldn’t be any different in method.

Pork chops come from the loin area of a pig. There’s a few different cuts of pork chops that you can get depending on where exactly in the loin it’s taken from.  The most common is rib chops. It really shouldn’t matter.  If it looks like a pork chop and smells like a pork chop, you should get goods results!

 

method

 

1. The first step is to prep your smoker. Aim to run these anywhere between 200f-230f (93c-110c). For flavour wood I love to use a blend of Hickory and Apple.  Maple, Pecan and Cherry also pair well with pork.
   
2. While it’s coming up to temp, season your chops on both sides with a pork or chicken rub. You can also follow your my recipe below for an All Purpose Pork and Chicken Rub. Whichever way you do it, you want it to be pre-made to reduce your prep time. You won’t need to use a binder on pork chops.  Lightly pat the rub in and return your chops to the refrigerator until your smoker is ready.  Unlike fast cooks where you want your meat at room temperature, I find it better to smoke meat straight out of the fridge to maximise the time it can take on that delicious smoke!
3. Once your smoker is up to temp, throw your pork chops on. If you use wireless meat probes to monitor temperature, now’s the time to stick one in your biggest chop and your smallest chop if you can.
   
4. Get that smoke rolling and keep the lid down until at least 45 minutes or when they’re hitting around 125f (52c). Then check all chops for temp with an instant read thermometer and move the chops around to cater for any cold/hot spots on your smoker.  
5. While the lid is open, give your chops a light spritz with 50/50 water/apple cider vinegar to keep them moist. Do this again in another 10 minutes.  Don’t be surprised if it brings the internal temp down a few degrees.
   
6. (Optional, but highly recommended step) If you wish to give them a sear, take them off around 140f (60c) and sear them for about a minute each side.
7. Once they hit 145f (63c) they’re done! Individually loosely tent them in foil (by creating an A Frame aluminium foil tent) with an extra spritz of the 50/50 solution and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
   

Entire cook time can be anywhere from just under one hour to over one and a half hours. The thickness of your smoked pork chops and temperature will dictate that, as will variation in meats. As with a lot of BBQ, temp is the key with these.

 

It’s that simple! You can serve these with a BBQ sauce or some apple sauce but you may not feel the need to. They should be juicy and tasty just on their own. Pair with some simple sides and you have a no fuss and low cost meal that the entire family can enjoy.

If by some kind of miracle you have left over chops, tighten the foil tent until sealed as best as possible and put it in the refrigerator.

If you have a vacuum sealer, once the chops are at refrigerator temperature use this to seal your leftovers to help them last longer and not dry out. It also makes reheating these in a sous vide at 145f (63c) a breeze, and it will be just as tasty and juicy as it was freshly off the smoker.

If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, keep in foil and reheat in the same foil using an airfryer, sandwich press or oven until around that 145f (63c) mark (try to have the chops at room temperature before reheating using these methods). Resist the temptation to reheat in the microwave.

Ingredients I used

(Serves 2-3 people.  Double the quantities for double the people, triple for triple etc)

• Pork Chops
• Generous seasoning of All Purpose Pork and Chicken Sweet Rub (as per below)
• Spray bottle with 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar/Water as necessary

 

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT I used

• Pit Boss Portable Navigator 150 Pellet Smoker
• 50/50 mix of Lumberjack Char Hickory Pellets/Lumberjack Apple Blend Pellets
• Inkbird ibbq-4t WiFi probe and ambient temperature monitor
• Inkbird 1HT-1 instant read thermometer
• Good quality tongs

 

all purpose pork and chicken sweet rub

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon coarse kosha salt, sea salt or pink salt
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon ground coriander (cilantro) seeds