Memphis-Style Sous Vide Pork Chops with Smoke and Grill Marks

[Charley Langer]

About

My wife is a loyal Costco shopper. She often brings home boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, and other (in my opinion) inferior cuts of meat and asks, “Can you please BBQ these and make them amazing like you always do?” I shed a few tears, and then endeavor to make her proud.

Makes or Serves

This will serve nine people. In my experience, Costco sells nine boneless pork chops in a package.

Takes

Good things (or at least better things) take time. I do this as a two day project. It can be done quicker.

Serve With

Smoked, lightly charred corn. And applesauce!! 😁

Special tools

• Sous Vide water circulator and tub.
• Vacuum sealer or Zip Loc bags.
• Lodge grill pan or gas/charcoal grill for finishing.

Ingredients

For the pork chops

• Costco pack thick-cut boneless pork chops (about 5 lbs total)
• Morton kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat)
• Fresh black pepper
• Avocado oil spray

Memphis-style pork rub (MMD)

• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons rosemary powder

Sauce glaze

• Blues Hog BBQ sauce
• Apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Dry brine the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry. Season evenly with Morton kosher salt using 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of meat. Lightly season with fresh black pepper. Place uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Sous vide. Vacuum seal the pork chops. Cook sous vide at: 140°F for 2.5 hours. After cooking, quick chill the bags in ice water, then refrigerate until the next day.
3. Prepare the smoker and sauce. Preheat smoker or pellet grill to 180°.
4. Smoke and warm the chops. Remove chops from the refrigerator. Season generously with the MMD pork rub. Place on the smoker and warm until the internal temperature reaches 110°F.
5. Mix the glaze:
   • 2 parts Blues Hog
   • 1 part apple cider vinegar
6. Finish on the grill pan (or grill). Heat a Lodge cast iron grill pan until screaming hot. Brush the chops lightly with the cut BBQ sauce. Spray lightly with avocado oil.
7. Place chops on the grill pan:
   • 20 seconds
   • Rotate for crosshatch marks
   • 20 more seconds
   • Flip and repeat on the second side. Total grill pan time: About 40 seconds per side.

The goal is quick caramelization and grill marks without overcooking the pork or burning the sugars.

⸻

Notes

• Final internal temperature should land around the mid-130s to low-140s.
• The vinegar-cut sauce creates a lacquered glaze instead of a sticky, burnt crust.
• Thick Costco pork chops work especially well for this method because the sous vide keeps them juicy while the smoker and grill pan add texture and flavor.

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