Smoked Pork Chop Recipes

A common concern for pork lovers is the high calorie content in pork meat. There is hardly anything that you can do with the meat to lower calorie, except for trimming off the fatty portions before cooking. But, you can certainly opt for healthy ways of cooking pork. One such method is smoking the meat.

While smoking pork chops, the basic things to be taken care of are the smoker temperature, meat temperature, and cooking period. As per availability, you can make smoked pork chops in a gas or pit smoker. The ideal temperature range for the smoker is 200 - 225°F, while meat temperature should be 160°F.

To get to this desired doneness, smoking will take 2 - 4 hours (based on meat thickness). Needless to say, cooking fresh pork chops makes a whole lot of difference in the taste of smoked dishes. So, purchase grayish pink pork chops having firm meat and less fat portions from your local supermarket.

In order to increase the flavor in the meat, consider brining or marinating it using cider vinegar overnight. Prepare a simple brine solution by dissolving ¾ cup salt in one gallon water, and soak pork chops in it.

Another brine recipe is mixing ½ gallon each of water and cider vinegar, and adding ¾ cup salt and flavorful herbs to the concoction. Immerse chops overnight in the refrigerator. This simple preparatory method makes the meat more tender and at the same time, improve its texture.

Following this, you can smoke pork chops in the usual way as you do for other meat cuts. But, make sure you take a note of the smoker and meat temperature.

Ingredients

• Smoked pork chops, 4 (1-inch thick)
• Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp.
• Brown sugar, 2 tbsp.
• Apple cider vinegar, 4 tbsp.
• Water,¼ cup

Directions
Preheat a thick cast iron skillet, and warm the smoked pork chops from both sides over medium low heat. Add mustard, sugar, vinegar, and water. Adjust heat to high, and bring it to a boiling temperature. Simmer for about 10 - 12 minutes, until the liquid part thickens to about half.

This savory smoked pork chop recipe is excellent for serving with plain rice.

Ingredients

• Smoked pork chops, 4
• Olive oil, 4 tbsp.
• Cherry tomatoes, 3 cups
• Garlic, 1 clove (smashed)
• White beans, 2 cans (drained and rinsed)
• Green olive tapenade, 2 tbsp.
• Thyme leaves, ¾ tsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat a thick skillet over medium high heat and add 3 tbsp. oil. Add garlic and then cherry tomatoes. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. In another skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium high heat. Brown pork chops from both sides, or cook for 2 minutes per side. By this time, tomatoes will become tender and begin bursting.

Stir in white beans and olive tapenade. Add already browned pork chops, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. This smoked pork chop dish tastes great with green salad on the side.

Ingredients

• Smoked pork loin chops, 4
• Pineapple slices, 4
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Preparation
Place rack in the center of the oven and, preheat oven to 300°F. Then, prepare a baking dish by lightly spraying with cooking oil. Arrange already smoked pork chops in the baking dish. Top each of them with a pineapple slice. Bake them in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Allow the oven-baked pork chops to cool down for 7 minutes.

This will ensure that internal cooking is done properly. Serve them with steamed broccoli and potato salad for dinner.