I tried a new technique for Pork Chops: Smoke for 3 hrs. then finish at 350'F
They looked good but were dry and tough. Next time may finish at 275*F temp, and pull at 140*F internal
They were thick chops from Costco and I cut them into thiner chops. That may be an issue too.
Aii advise is welcome
Assuming you are smoking at 225-250, that is probably too long. It doesn’t take more than a hour to get a thin cut to the 120 range. Maybe a bit longer to 130. Then you can sear off to 140. Why don’t you use a leave-in probe and make it easy to know when to sear?
This is what I do. Smoke at a low temp until 120 - 130, then sear to 145. Comes out great. Country-style ribs are even better, probably my favorite grilled meat.
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Grilla Grills Pellet Pizza Oven
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks Square DOT
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Joule Turbo Sous Vide Circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
I don't recall if you're into sous vide ... but if you are, here's a slight twist on Serious Eats/Kenji's method that I now depend on (ok, Panhead John , "upon which I now depend" ... geez):
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in pork rib chops, 1 1/2 inches thick each (about 2 1/2 pounds; 1.1kg total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60ml) vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil, divided (optional)
4 tablespoons (60ml) butter, divided (optional) 8 sprigs thyme or rosemary, divided (optional) 4 garlic cloves, divided (optional)
2 shallots, thinly sliced, divided (optional)
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours Total Time: 3 hours Servings: 4 pork chops Source: MBM Modified after seriouseats.com
DESCRIPTION
Here's a breakdown of the texture and juiciness you can expect at various temperatures: Rare (130°F; 54°C): Your meat is still nearly raw. Muscle proteins have not started to contract much and will have a slippery, wet texture. The meat will be extremely juicy, but it'll be hard to break down muscle fibers between your teeth, as the meat won't have enough firmness to stand up to chewing. Medium-rare (140°F; 60°C): Muscle proteins have begun to tighten and firm up. You lose a bit of juice due to this tightening, but what you lose in juice, you gain in tenderness. This is my favorite temperature for pork chops. They come out extremely juicy and tender, but have a natural meaty bite to them, without the off-putting slipperiness of 130°F meat. Medium-well (150°F; 66°C): The muscle fibers continue to toughen up and expel juices. The pork will still be flavorful, but it'll have lost a lot of its tenderness by this stage. Well-done (160°F; 71°C): The meat is completely well-done, with a texture that's reminiscent of the pork chops I ate as a kid, albeit juicier than if they were cooked via more traditional methods.
Does Timing Matter?
It's true that timing for sous vide cooking is much more forgiving than with traditional techniques—your window of properly-cooked meat opens up from seconds or minutes to hours—but even so, it is possible to over- or undercook the meat. My general rule of thumb is to allow around 15 minutes of cooking time per half inch of thickness, adding on an extra 10 minutes or so just to be safe. This is enough time to allow the meat to achieve thermal equilibrium and get cooked through to the same temperature as the water bath. Beyond that time, the meat will not lose much juiciness, but eventually, as muscle proteins break down, it will become somewhat mushy, shredding as you bite rather than tearing.
At four hours, the meat has begun to lose some of its resilience, and by eight hours, it's tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. I limit cook times to under four hours.
:----------------: Temperature and Timing Chart for Juicy Pork Chops:
Too much data? Okay, here's all of that information compressed into a chart with just what you need to know. The timing is given for pork chops that are around 1 1/2 inches thick. Add 15 minutes to the minimum time for each half inch if you have thicker, double-cut chops.
Sous Vide Pork Chop Temperature and Timing Chart: Rare: Tender, juicy, and a little slippery 130°F (54°C) 1 to 4 hours BEST >>>>> Medium-rare: Tender, juicy, and meaty (my favorite) 140°F (60°C) 1 to 4 hours Medium-well: Quite firm and just starting to dry out 150°F (66°C) 1 to 4 hours Well-done: Firm, a little dry and tough, but still moist 160°F (71°C) 1 to 4 hours
DIRECTIONS
Place an immersion circulator in a water bath and set the circulator to the desired final temperature according to the chart above. Allow the water bath to come to temperature. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper (see note). Place in vacuum-seal or zipper-lock bags. Seal bags (see note) and place in water bath for time recommended in chart above.
:----------------: To Finish in a Pan: Turn on your vents and open your windows. Remove pork from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil to a heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, place it over the hottest burner you have, and preheat skillet until it starts to smoke. Using your fingers or a set of tongs, gently lay two pork chops in skillet. If desired, add 1 tablespoon butter; for a cleaner-tasting sear, omit butter at this stage. Carefully lift and peek under pork as it cooks to gauge how quickly it is browning. Let it continue to cook until the crust is deep brown and very crisp, about 45 seconds.
Flip pork chops. If desired, add 1 more tablespoon butter, along with half of the thyme, rosemary, garlic, and/or shallots. Spoon butter over pork chops as they cook, if using. Continue cooking until second side is browned, about 45 seconds longer.
When pork is browned, pick it up with a pair of tongs, rotate it sideways, and make sure to brown the edges as well. Transfer cooked pork chops to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Discard aromatics. Repeat with remaining pork chops, butter, and aromatics, adding additional oil to skillet if necessary. Let chops rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
Just before serving, reheat the drippings in the pan until sizzling-hot, then pour them over pork chops in order to re- crisp their exteriors. Serve immediately.
:----------------: To Finish on the Grill: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.
Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Remove pork chops from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Place pork chops directly over the hot side of the grill and cook, turning every 15 to 30 seconds, until a deep, rich crust has formed, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total. If the fire threatens to flare up as pork chops drip fat into it, suffocate the fire by closing the grill lid until the flames die out. Alternatively, transfer pork chops to the cooler side of the grill using a set of long tongs until the flames subside. Do not allow pork chops to become engulfed in flames. Transfer cooked pork chops to a cutting board or serving platter and serve immediately.
(Paprika format file also available if anyone cares):
I take the easy route. Smoke at 235 degrees in the Recteq to an IT of 135-140. Pull and rest under foil tent while I nuke the veggies and the mac & cheese. About 10 min. Devour. Yum.
I did something the other day that I really like, hot and fast! I had my vortex setup over the weekend to do some wings and left it that way since it really wasn't that dirty. On Monday I grabbed some Duroc pork chops I had in the freezer, thawed, salt brined that morning then fired up the vortex again that evening to about 600*F. Slapped those babies on, flipped them at 15 mins, went another 15 mins and they temp'd at 140-145*F. Sauced, pulled and ate. I think that was the juiciest and fastest chop I have cooked in a long time. Winner !!!
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
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Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
I made some pork loin chops last night. 350 indirect until done at 135-140. Suuuuper juicy. Enough of a 'sear' from the temp that I didn't need to sear them.
Since you ask for advice, my advice is don't over think pork chops; skip smoking them, you're giving them more time to cook and dry out. They're the one meat you can just cook hot & fast and fully enjoy.
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