Smoked Pork Chops - Extra Thick
Extra-thick pork chops brined in apple cider, seasoned with olive oil and rub and smoked with apple or cherry wood.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 4–6 extra-thick pork chops about 1 1/2 inches thick
- olive oil enough to coat
- Jeff's original rub as needed
Apple Cider Brine
- 64 oz apple cider apple juice may be substituted
- ½ cup kosher salt
Instructions
- Stir kosher salt into the apple cider until dissolved. Place the chops in a zip-top bag set inside a bowl, add enough brine to cover and seal.
- Refrigerate for 5–9 hours, or overnight as described in the article. Remove from the brine, rinse and pat dry.
- Brush both sides with olive oil and season lightly with rub.
- Prepare the smoker for 225–240°F using apple and/or cherry wood. Place chops on a rack or directly on the grate with about 1 inch between them.
- Smoke until the center reaches 145°F, about 2 hours for the author's 1 1/2-inch-thick chops.
- Transfer to a foil pan, cover loosely and rest at least 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
The article's summary lists 220°F, while the detailed smoking directions specify 225–240°F; this card follows the detailed directions. Brining range in the summary is 5–9 hours. The card makes the minimum 3-minute rest explicit.
Estimated servings: Estimate assumes one chop per person; the source uses 4–6 chops, so the actual count follows the number cooked.