Best Pork Chop I've ever had..........

The Cen-Tex Smoker

We found a sweet deal on chops so we bought a ton of them, vac sealed, and froze most. What we didn't freeze, we brined (salt, sugar, water) for 4 hours, allowed to air dry then reverse seared.

After the brine, we allowed to air dry until sticky and seasoned with Tsunami Spin. Then I smoked them over apple indirect at 275 until 125 internal. (I had the spider and cast iron in under the AR). I pulled them at 125, pulled the rig and let the temp come up to 600 (2 minutes).  I glazed the chops with stone ground mustard and organic honey from the guy who took the 10,000 bees out of my wall a few months ago. Start with 2 parts honey to 1 part mustard and adjust until first taste is sweet and finish is mustard. 

After the glaze, I seared on the spider/cast iron for about a minute per side brushing with the honey mustard glaze.

Not only was it as good as any chop I've had, it was as good as any steak I've ever had.

TFJ made an awesome sweet/savory tart to go along with it. It was a biscuit crust with butter and rosemary topped with apples and cheese (I'll let her chime in on the recipe. It was really good). 

Finally, we topped the chops with a tarragon mustard cream (super easy and awesome on pork and chicken). 

Soooooooo......here's the proof:- the full plated pic with the tarragon mustard sauce sucked arse. here are the 2 "good" pics I got:

TUTTLE871

I just ate and now after I see this I'm starving.
That looks awesome and now I know what's for dinner this week.

EggNorth

Very nice!  Apples and cheese ... never tried that but sounds great.

shtgunal3

Damn that chop looks good.

tybeelucy2

Looks amazing

The Cen-Tex Smoker

EggNorth said:

Very nice!  Apples and cheese ... never tried that but sounds great.

think of it it as a cheese tray with apples (very common to serve apples with cheese together cold or room temp) but served hot in a rosemary butter biscuit (not very common but that is how it was sold to me....and damnit, she was right.......again. ). 8-|

hapster

Damn!!! Great looking cook!!!

Mickey

I am busting my butt with the City tonight and you guys are cooking that. I best get some brisket this time in Salado.

Doc_Eggerton

I love best ever posts. Great looking.

SaltySam

I never thought about brining a pork chop.  Just goes to show me how much I still have left to learn. 

I did, however, know about the whole cheese and apple combo though!  My grandmother used to make scratch apple pie, and would serve it with freshly shredded cheddar.  Looks strange, tastes wonderful.

NibbleMeThis

I love beef but I agree with you, a well cooked pork chop is just as good as a steak to me.   Reverse sear is one of my favorite ways to do that, excellent cook, Centex!

JRWhitee

I have been trying to figure out a good pork chop recipe but never thought to reverse sear them. This is bookmarked for sure. Thank you for posting we eat a lot of pork chops.

TexanOfTheNorth

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

EggNorth said:

Very nice!  Apples and cheese ... never tried that but sounds great.

think of it it as a cheese tray with apples (very common to serve apples with cheese together cold or room temp) but served hot in a rosemary butter biscuit (not very common but that is how it was sold to me....and damnit, she was right.......again. ). 8-|

Nothing beats a slice of warm apple pie with a big hunk of melted cheddar cheese on top!  :P

Acn

My wife makes a salad with baby spinach, sliced Granny Smith apples, chunks of cheddar cheese, and toasted pecans with a dressing of equal parts olive oil, balsamic and maple syrup.

yzzi

That looks great. Glad to hear you got those bees taken care and are in the hands of a keeper with what's going on with bees these days.

billyray

Brined and reverse sear bone in pork chop. One of my favorites, also.

Big Ragu

damn cen tex  im going to scrap dinner plans tonight and make thezse

Nature Boy

That's just beautiful!! Nice cook mang.

Cheers

Chris

billyray

Nature Boy  Chris I forgot to mention that I used Raging River as a rub. )

Skiddymarker

Very nice. On the to do list for this weekend. 

Always cooked the pork version of a "Cowboy Rib eye" as a roast like prime rib - rack of pork, never done them as chops. Chops have always been bone in, pork version of a T-bone/Porterhouse (double loin?) or cut from a full boneless pork loin. 

Thanks for the inspiration. 

boatbum

Very nice - definitely on my TO-DO list.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Mickey said:

I am busting my butt with the City tonight and you guys are cooking that. I best get some brisket this time in Salado.

I'll bring a few.

Eggcelsior

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Mickey said:

I am busting my butt with the City tonight and you guys are cooking that. I best get some brisket this time in Salado.

I'll bring a few.

Think I can FTC one for the plane ride home? I want to spread the CT gospel. 

boatbum

This is now on the been there done that list. Fantastic. Your right, takes a chop to a new level.

ArlingtonGrill

Cen-tex, can you send the recipe for the apple/cheese thing?

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ArlingtonGrill said:

Cen-tex, can you send the recipe for the apple/cheese thing?

I just did here: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1156602/savory-apple-tart?new=1

ArlingtonGrill

Thanks.

caliking

Damn dude - this sounds fantastic! Bookmarked.

ringkingpin

nice write up on your work flow!  Sounds awesome, gonna try this!

The galette looks like something that would come out of our kitchen for sure!  Yum!

ashevilleegg

What were your brine ratios

The Cen-Tex Smoker

gallon water

cup kosher

1/2 cup sugar