Brined/Cured/Smoked Pork Chop Rack ~ Foamheart

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
The pork, I try to buy pork chops on sale and instead of the butcher having to do all that work slicing them, I just get her to cut them in 4 to 5 bone pieces. It makes us both happy.

We all know how to build a wet cure or a brined cure.

1 part salt

1 part white sugar

1 part brown sugar

Cure #1

and spices

This time I used a bit too much cure for a 2 day brine, So it was slightly more dense than expected. It had been awhile since my last. And of course I wouldn't even consider refering to my kill journal, instructions? We don't need no stinkin instructions....LOL Damn shame we aren't as smart as we think.

Like I said, 2 days brining, the a day drying. It really had a beautiful pelicule!


I'll show you this, its what I have learned to do, notch the vertebrae so its easier to cut after cooking.


I rubbed it very simply, salt, ancho pepper, light brown sugar and a sprinkle of cayenne.


Used the AMPs with apple and corn cob, and apple chips in the tray. AND only one load in the tray. Below is after the first hours


It no longer needs me, just some time......

Yesterday I boiled tender a cured smoked hock, then I threw in some dryed blackeye'd peas with it, so it only needed warming.

I saw C-Man's cabbage and it reminded me of the brussel sprouts in the crisper. I like to smoke 'em on a skewer and today placed a piece of honey crisp apple between each one.

First I nuke/ steamed 'em. LOL Reminded me of the Navy!


A bit of EVOO, and some salt and pepper


I also mad eup a little spritz bottle of, apple beer, apple cider vinegar, Capt. Morgans I only spritz twice when going in and comming out. No room in the reefer so I drank what was left over and feel invorated! I know I still can't spell or talk for that matter either. Wonder if its the spritz.

So when I added the skewers to the smoker I inserted the probe!


Then it got the spritz! As I closed the smoker door I thought I heard singing!

Cooked about an hour longer, I removed the roast and allowed to sit and it travelled from 145 to 150, what can I say.... I am outta practice. Did I mention I spritzed here again. About 30 mins.


So we have sweet taters with butter, real maple syrup, nutmeg and a pinch o cayenne!

I wanta say, that as long as it take a tater to cook in the oven at 350, I don't have enough time to do one in the smoker at 230.


The Blackeye'd suzies w/ hocks..... ZOMG! and its not even Easter yet!

So when I sliced the roast...........


I could swear I took more and better pictures. So here's the Bear Picture.


You can see in the meat, its a bit too much cure or a bit too long in the brine. But it is unbelievably juicy and tender. Nothing at all special in the brine except I added just a bit of cinnamin. You can't reconize the taste but since I know its there, I know what that slight spicy flavor is.The rub was perfect, a touch sweet from the light brown sugar, a touch hot from the cayenne. Did I mention tender and juicy?

Seeeeeeems to me that the roast cost less than 2.00 a pound, Makes a nice presentation, but it was just good meal today.

Thanks for droping in and checking it out.
 
 
Foam did you use a meat saw to notch the bone? Meal looks great.
No, we have hacksaws, wood saws, hatchhets and axes. I used an old butcher knife that I used mostly as a cleaver. I center it on the vertabrae cracks and a quick smack from a claw hammer easily does it. Ya know I think we have a large bone saw in one of the garages, seems I've seen one. Just too much stuff, no room for seldom used speciality items.

You also just leave it in alone and just cut the meat off the bone rack. But at my house if there is a bone, it better be on a plate.......LOL A dog can have the meat as long as we can gnaw the bone....LOL
 
That looks like a tasty chop! It doesn't look over cured from here, it looks great.....And me with my empty brine bucket.
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That looks like a tasty chop! It doesn't look over cured from here, it looks great.....And me with my empty brine bucket.
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Thank you very much Todd.

After seeing your butchering expertise I doubt that bucket will me lonely for very long. Those where some beautiful sides and you cleaned that ham up like a pro! Very impressive.

Its up in the 80;s all ready and me with no bacon done...... I hate that!
 
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Nice Job Foam, they look great to me       
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Gary
 
 
Nice..............
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Thank you sir...... You know how it is, the first one came out so beautiful, I know how I did it, well I am assuming it just falls under that 5% just dumb luck.


It had such a pronounced cure/uncure area all around the loin area. Its a beautifully done piece of meat.

From the way this one took the cure I would have had to pull it about 6 to 12 hours earlier.


I will get it again..... I wonder how the Pros get 'em perfect everytime?

BTW Had Cajun Sausage and Mac & Cheese last night....... Juicest sausage ever.  I bet I could sell that stuff. Small microwavable containers of Sausage w/ Mac & Cheese. Call it the cardiac lunch. LOL
 
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So, you mentioned that it was cured for two days. How did the cure penetrate the meat to the centre? Was this injected or something? Just trying to understand.

In Solidarity,

Skandic
I am still learning too. Lets try the easiest explaination with all the wrong terminology.

The brine is a less weak osmosis agent than the cure, when put together they are pretty quick. You need only inject when the meat is in excess of 2 inchs thick or if you feel that the cure will reach its equalization before it has completely permeated the meat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis

It has to do with the realitive density of the solutions. The more dense will always want to travel to the less dense areas until the density is equalized. You add flavors to this brine/cure to add flavor modifiers into the meat. You are not increasing the moisture, only the density of the moisture available. Actually, hot and cold work exactly the same also. Hot always travels to cold hence there is only degrees of heat or lack of and no degrees of cold. LOL....

My biggest pronlem with a brine especially a short one is due to the short time you have to use a heavy hand with the dehydration elements the cure, salt, and sugar. But with a quick cure, you must really understand what you are doing to avoid the hard dry over cured meat. It happened to everone occassional I guess. Put a piece of meat in a brine and then the wifes folks show up so you have to wait till the next day. LOL.

The cure actually leaves a unique taste, like a ham to meats. But once meats are cured you can smoke them longer and lower than none cured.

There is a load to balance out, and you can see from my above post to Boyjko, I missed what I was shooting for although it was still completely delicious,.

There are sooooo many others here who know about all this better than myself, Pop, Dave, Tom, etc etc etc.......
 
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