Thursday, February 2, 2012

Cowboy Pork Chops

I love a recipe that requires a meat cleaver!

This is a great way to take a cheap piece of meat and transform it into some of the best pork chops you'll ever have. They are tender and very flavorful without using a brine or marinade.






What you will need:

The Meat
1 4-5 rib Pork Loin Rib End Roast(not loin end)



The Spices
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried worcestershire powder (optional-sorta) You can get it Here

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or shaker.

The Glaze
1/3 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar - packed
1 tbsp Dr. Pepper or Cola

Mix together in a basting pot and warm in the grill for a few minutes before using. This was enough glaze to coat each chop twice.

Let's do this!

Get out your cleaver! Actually, depending on your how awesome your butcher is you may or may not need a meat cleaver but have it handy just in case. The rib end of the loin is closest to the shoulder and not as desirable as the center cut loin where the pretty pork chops come from. The roast may contain a thick portion of the spine or chine bones (thin flat bones on the under side of the roast). Loosen the chine bones by running your knife between them and the meat. Some can be pulled off easily and others will have to wait for cleaver time. Using a sharp knife cut each chop from the roast by going between each rib bone. I start from the top of the roast and line up my blade between the ribs and try to slice in one or two motion until I hit the bone joint. You may be able to cut around the joint leaving a rustic looking chop or you may need to use your cleaver. When using the cleaver make sure the meat portion of the chop is completely cut away from the roast. Breaking through the bone to separate the chop is actually very easy if you use a swift, clean stroke. Now - count your fingers. If you started off with 10 and you're down to 9 seek immediate medical attention. Use the cleaver to remove any chine bones as well. Using your remaining fingers feel around the chops for any loose bone fragments. Note: Nowhere do I mention trimming any fat from the chops.



To avoid the need for a cleaver you can ask your butcher to cut it into chops (between the bones!) but where's the fun in that?

Season each chop with the cowboy spice rub. Use the bottom of a spoon to press the rub into the meat.


Set up your charcoal grill for indirect cooking. Don't have one? Here's where I get mine.


Grill chops on the hot side for about 2 minutes on each side. Place chops on the cool side with the bone facing the coals, add a very small handful of DRY apple or cherry wood chips to the coals and close the lid. With the top vent fully opened adjust the bottom vents until you reach a temperature between 375 and 400 degrees. If using a kettle style grill make sure the lid is on so the top vent is over the meat.

Cook for 30 minutes and then flip the chops (bones still facing the heat). Cook for 30-45 more minutes. Total cooking time will be around 1.5 hours. During the last 15 minutes Glaze each chop one side at a time closing the lid for 3-5 minutes between each coat to allow the glaze to bake on. Let the chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.


Notice the awesome smoke ring from only using a small amount of wood chips. Since the chop has a large surface area they don't need much smoke.

The best part was the price. Ok, it was second best to eating them.





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