Best Gas Grill-Smoked Pork Chops

By Venzie

Why this recipe works: For a grill-smoked pork chop recipe that had it all—charred crust, rosy-pink, ultra-moist meat, and true smoke flavor throughout—we reversed the cooking process by starting low and finishing with a quick sear. Bone-in chops were the best bet for our grill-smoked pork chop recipe, because bones add flavor, and their connective tissue and fat boost meat tenderness as they dissolve on the grill.

Ingredients

• Sauce
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup molasses, light or mild
• 2 2 2 tablespoons grated onion (see note)
• 2 2 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 2 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 2 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 1 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Chops
• 2 2 30 cups wood chips, soaked in water at least 30 minutes (see note)
• 4 4 1 1/2 rib loin pork chops (12 ounces each), 1 1/2 inches thick (see note)
• 4 4 2 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 2 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 13- 9-inch by 9-inch aluminum cake pan

Details

Adapted from recipetools.gotdns.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE SAUCE: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches ketchuplike consistency and is reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer ½ cup sauce to small bowl and set aside to serve with cooked chops.


2. FOR THE CHOPS: Place soaked wood chips in shallow disposable aluminum pie plate and place plate on primary burner (burner that will remain on during barbecuing) and reposition cooking grate(s). Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat until hot and chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. (If chips ignite, use water-filled spray bottle to extinguish.) Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).


3. While grill is heating, pat chops dry with paper towels. Using sharp knife, cut 2 slits about 1 inch apart through outer layer of fat and connective tissue to prevent buckling. Sprinkle entire surface of each chop with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place chops side by side, facing in same direction, on cutting board with curved rib bone facing down. Pass 2 skewers through loin muscle of each chop, close to bone, about 1 inch from each end. Once chops have been threaded onto skewers, pull apart to create 1-inch space between each.


4. Place skewered chops, bone-side down, on cooler side of grill, over aluminum pan. Cover grill and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork chop, but away from any bone, registers 110 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes.


5. Remove skewers from chops; tip chops onto flat side and brush surface with 1 tablespoon sauce. Transfer chops, sauce-side down, to hotter parts of grill (2 on each side) and cook, covered, until browned, 4 to 7 minutes. Brush top of each chop with 1 tablespoon sauce; flip and continue to cook on second side until browned and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork chop, but away from any bone, registers 140 to 145 degrees, 4 to 7 minutes longer. Remove chops from grill and allow to rest, tented with foil, 5 minutes. Serve, passing ½ cup reserved sauce separately.