My goal was to replicate the smoked pork chops I get from my favorite butcher shop (Plug- Rhodes Meat Market, Martinsburg, PA - they do their own!). Those chops are amazing. I know they smoke the whole roast at the time, not individual chops. I know because I've had to wait for them to come out of the smokehouse, cool, and be cut for me. I know a little 'rumor' about how they make them- inject cure and brown sugar mix into the roast, brine them in the same (?) cure mix.
Well, since I haven't found cure (Tender Quick) locally yet, and since the meat was in my fridge (6 lbs, with bone in), I figured on going with another plan. I brined the roast (with chine bone attached and not cut- my bad) for 36 hours with kosher salt, brown sugar, sugar and water. After taking it out of the brine, I added my all purpose rub and put in the smoker at 225. 4 1/2 hour later I added a pan of Bushes baked beans spiked with Sweet Baby Rays and diced shallot. Internal temp hit 160 at just about 6 hours 45 min. Pulled it and left it sit lightly wrapped in foil for about 20 minutes and then boned it. Sliced into 3/4 inch smoked chops.
Fair to say it didn't equate to the butchers own smokehouse chops, but surely did fill our bellies and no complaints. This smokin' thing, it takes time and I'm looking forward to the next go.
In the smoker we go:
Pic with full rib showing
Pork and beans:
160 and ready to come out:
Boned and ready to slice:
Notice the missing meat between the bones? That was mighty fine sampling.
And, I did forget to get shots after I sliced it.
Next one for sure.
Well, since I haven't found cure (Tender Quick) locally yet, and since the meat was in my fridge (6 lbs, with bone in), I figured on going with another plan. I brined the roast (with chine bone attached and not cut- my bad) for 36 hours with kosher salt, brown sugar, sugar and water. After taking it out of the brine, I added my all purpose rub and put in the smoker at 225. 4 1/2 hour later I added a pan of Bushes baked beans spiked with Sweet Baby Rays and diced shallot. Internal temp hit 160 at just about 6 hours 45 min. Pulled it and left it sit lightly wrapped in foil for about 20 minutes and then boned it. Sliced into 3/4 inch smoked chops.
Fair to say it didn't equate to the butchers own smokehouse chops, but surely did fill our bellies and no complaints. This smokin' thing, it takes time and I'm looking forward to the next go.
In the smoker we go:
Pic with full rib showing
Pork and beans:
160 and ready to come out:
Boned and ready to slice:
Notice the missing meat between the bones? That was mighty fine sampling.
And, I did forget to get shots after I sliced it.