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Home » Charcuterie » Smoked Sausage and Meat » Smoked Pork Chops

Smoked Pork Chops

May 12, 2019 · 10 Comments

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Smoked pork chops are among the top favorites in our family. When cooked right, they are ridiculously tender and moist, and very flavorful. They are a great alternative to chicken breast meat because lean pork loin meat is about just as lean as chicken breast meat. Have you ever tried smoked pork chop salad? If you haven’t, you must! Grilled chicken, move aside, here comes smoked pork.

Smoked pork chops on a grey speckled serving platter.

There are literally dozens of excellent ways to make smoked pork chops. None of them is what I would ever dare calling ‘the best’ - they are different and great in their own way. It really depends on what you feel like eating at any given time and on your personal taste.

This specific recipe is probably my favorite as it’s very simple and I use it most often. It requires no marinating, no soaking, no injection or brining, yet the final product is outstanding. All those techniques are no doubt great and bring value if used correctly, but you can beat simplicity. Besides, simple doesn’t mean worse by any stretch.

The secret to this recipe is a good rub, good smoke, right temperature and searing at the end of the smoke.

The rub

Salt and aromatic spices like marjoram, pepper and coriander, which is always go so well with pork, are essential basics. Freshly minced garlic adds so much flavor that it only makes sense to add it. Just remember to use fresh garlic. Granulated garlic is the worst. It won’t be nearly as flavorful and you will feel its sandy texture in your mouth. I like a little bit of sweetness on my chops, so a little bit of brown sugar makes its way on my smoked chops. Brown sugar also helps with caramelization during searing.

Finally, I like to use a little bit of Worcestershire sauce. It adds a nice aroma and a touch of tartness that many people appreciate. The best way to apply Worcestershire sauce is to rub the meat with it and let it soak in. Whatever didn't - wipe it off with a paper towel. Dry meat surface absorbs smoke much better than wet one.

The smoke

When smoking pork chops there are two things to pay attention too. The choice of wood is one. Use what you like, not what others recommend. My choice of wood for smoking most meats is cherry. For pork, it’s the only wood I ever use. I love the color it gives the meat and the sweet smoky flavor. It's best to smoke pork chops at lower temperatures to get the meat take in enough smoke, about 200F-225F, over indirect heat.

Season pork chops on the rack of a smoker.

The temperature

As was mentioned above, start low, about 200F-225F, and smoke for about an hour, until you hit 130F internal temperature. If you want a smokier product, keep the temperature lower, about 200F and smoke for a little longer. Or cut your chops thicker.

The searing

Nothing makes meat taste better than a nicely caramelized crust. Pork chops are no exception. No matter how well they are seasoned, how well they are smoked, put a nice sear on them and they will taste twice as good. Once internal temperature in your chops hits 130F, it’s time to place them over direct high heat and sear on both sides until the chops hit 145F internal temperature. This method is know as 'reverse sear' method, whereby you sear the meat at the end of cooking instead of the beginning.

 

Smoked pork chops reverse-seared on a grill.

Now, cover those chops with foil and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the meat fibers to reabsorb some of the moisture it lost during cooking.

Use the leftovers in place of chicken breasts to make salads. Or slice thinly and make a sandwich. Trust me, it's better than any deli meat from the store.

And remember to try my new pork chop recipe - Smoked Cured Pork chops. They are so darn good!

Smoked pork chops, deep brown, on a platter.

Smoked Pork Chops (Reverse Sear Method)

4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pork chops, smoked pork chops
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 222kcal
Author: Victor

Ingredients

  • 6 pork chops 1-inch thick, boneless, about 2 1/2 lbs
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic pressed
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram heaping, finely ground, see note
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper finely ground, see note
  • 1 tsp dried coriander finely ground, see note

Instructions

  • Rub the pork chops with Worcestershire sauce and let sit for about 15 minutes while you are starting your grill. Dry the meat with a paper towel, then evenly apply the salt, sugar, spices and the garlic.
  • Now, place the chops on preheated grill/smoker and smoke over indirect heat at about 200F-225F for about an hour to 1 ½ hours, until the internal temperature of the pork chops reaches 130F.
  • Move the pork chips over to direct heat and sear over high heat on both sides until the internal temperature reaches 145F.
  • Remove the chops from the grill/smoker, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

I find that the easiest way to make finely ground spices is to put the salt, pepper, coriander and marjoram in mortar and pulverize them with a pestle. This is very easy to do and takes less than 20-30 seconds.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 869mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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  1. CHAD I SCOTT says

    December 18, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    I used this method in the past, but never knew it had a name ie; reverse sear. Thanks for the knowledge and I'm about to try thus recipe with my own variation of spices. I'm confident it will be amazing. Will definitely check out your other recipes. They are different from list other basic crop out there. Much love.

    Reply
    • Victor @ Taste of Artisan says

      December 18, 2021 at 10:26 pm

      You are very welcome. Thanks for the feedback. Speaking about pork chops, I highly recommend the smoked cured pork chops, they are outstanding. Happy smoking and happy holidays!

      Reply
  2. Jordan says

    September 14, 2019 at 7:08 pm

    Being relatively new to smoking (only occasionally for a year or 2 now) doing pork chops was something I don't think I have tried yet. I have never been a fan of pork chops but after tasting these smoked chops I have totally fallen in love, I am sure a lot of it is just that I loved smoked meat, but thanks for opening up a great quick smoking option to me! I'll definitely be trying other variations but at least I know I have something to fall back on.

    Reply
    • Victor @ Taste of Artisan says

      September 16, 2019 at 2:04 pm

      Glad to hear I helped, Jordan. You are very welcome. I will be posting more smoked meats recipes in the near future. Smoked meats is my passion.

      Reply
  3. Courtney says

    December 30, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    5 stars
    I stumbled across this recipe yesterday and did it tonight on my RecTec smoker.... DELICIOUS!! Never thought I would enjoy pork chops without a bread coating and I’m a convert! I think I even enjoyed it more than chicken. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • victor says

      December 30, 2018 at 11:46 pm

      Glad to hear that, Courtney. Make sure to check out my other recipes, lot's of tasty things there. Many of my extra crispy and super tasty chicken recipes are not deep-fried or breaded. People love them. I do too.

      Reply
  4. Bernir says

    August 27, 2017 at 11:43 pm

    4 stars
    Just tried your recipe and the chops were spot on! Will definitely make this one again!

    Reply
    • victor says

      August 28, 2017 at 7:37 am

      Thank you for your feedback, Bernir. Glad you liked it, it's one of my favorite.

      Reply
  5. Phyllis says

    June 16, 2017 at 3:17 pm

    I am always looking for a good pork chop recipe. These look delicious.

    Reply
    • victor says

      June 16, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      Thank you for the kind words and for visiting my blog.

      Reply

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