Smoking Boneless Pork Chops The Easy Way

It is hard to find good pork chops at the grocery store to smoke. I really prefer to order heritage chops ahead of time as they come from pigs that have been raised without growth hormones or antibiotics in the fresh air and allowed to graze in a pasture eating whatever they please. Therefore, your meat will have more fat on it which melts when you smoke it leaving the meat juicy and flavorful. If I must buy meat from the local butcher shop, then I make sure that I have them cut about two inches thick. If you get real lucky, then you can find double pork chops in the meat case already cut at your local grocery store. Using thin pork chops is a last resort because they tend to dry out during the smoking process.

If you are using heritage pork, then you may not even need a rub as the meat is flavorful, but I still prefer to use a rub to help seal in the juices. Just make sure to not use one containing salt as your pork chops will get too salty.

Smoked Pork Chops - Step-by-step Instructions

Here is how I assemble my boneless smoked pork chops.

Step 1: Make and Brine Pork Chops

Four hours before I am ready to make the pork chops, I combine two cups water, two cups apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger and five cloves in a big pan on the stove. Bring to a slow boil over low heat and remove from stove. Add three cups ice cubes and two cups apple juice. Then, peel and quarter an apple along with slicing up an onion. Add apple and onion to the mixture. Stir until well combined. Pour mixture into a large pan. Add pork chops making sure they are completely submerged. Refrigerate for four hours.

Step 2: Assemble and Add Dry Rub

In a small bowl, combine the remaining two tablespoons brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay them in the pan you intend to carry them to the smoker in. Sprinkle ​spice mixture on top of them, rub pork chops thoroughly.. Then, flip over and do the other side with the rest of the rub.

Step 3: Prepare Smoker

You do not want a hot smoke to smoke boneless pork chops. I like to use a combination of apple and hickory wood chips to smoke my meat. The apple wood adds a sweet hint to the pork chops while the hickory wood adds a smoky flavor. Prepare the smoker to smoke at the cooking temperature of 215 degrees. I prefer to use a separate internal thermometer for my pork chops as the one on the smoker can be unreliable. You can adapt this recipe for any type of smoker: electric smoker, gas grill/smoker, as long as it does its job.

Step 4: Smoke Meat

I smoke my pork chops until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. This will take about 90 minutes if your chops are about two inches thick. Measure the pork chop internal temp with a meat thermometer at their thickest part. Be careful that you do not push the thermometer clear through the pork chops as they will be extremely tender. Try to make as few holes as possible when measuring the temperature as this allows the meat's juices to escape.

Step 5: Let Pork Loin Chops Rest

When the ​thick chops have reached their internal temperature, remove them from the smoker and place pork chops on a platter. Cover the platter with a tent of aluminum foil being sure that it does not touch the meat. Let the pork chops sit for 10 minutes as it allows time for the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat.

Step 6: Prepare Sauce and Serve

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to make the Carolina mustard barbecue sauce. Stir until completely combined. Place each boneless pork chop on a plate. Place a small amount of the sauce next to the pork chop. This allows each person to use as little or as much of the sauce as they desire.