Asian-Brined Smoked Pork Chops

Smoking pork chops is one of my favorite ways to prepare this cut of meat. Brining not only keeps the pork moist, but also adds flavor. While dried red chilies (zi² tin¹ ziu¹, 指天椒) and Sichuan peppercorns (faa¹ ziu¹, 花椒) are used in the brine, the resulting pork chops are not hot, and the five spice powder adds a sweet fragrance. Cherry or apple wood smoke goes well pork, but you can use any available wood.

Enjoy!

Brine Ingredients

½ cup Kosher Salt

⅓ cup Sugar

2 Tbs. Five Spice Powder (ng⁵ hoeng¹ fan², 五香粉)

6 whole Star Anise (baat³ gok³, 八角)

1 Tbs. Sichuan Peppercorns (faa¹ ziu¹, 花椒)

8-12 whole dried Chili Peppers (zi² tin¹ ziu¹, 指天椒)

8 Garlic Cloves (syun³, 蒜), crushed lightly

4 ¼-inch slices Ginger (goeng¹, 薑), crushed lightly

2 cups Water

Pork Ingredients

3-6 1½- to 2-inch thick Pork Chops

Oil to coat the pork chops

Brine Preparation Instructions

1. The pork chops need to be brined for at least 24 hours, so prepare the brining solution one day ahead. Use a heat-resistant non-reactive container to brine the pork chops – I used a 4.0-liter (4 quart) glass Pyrex bowl.
2. Put the brine ingredients into a pot and bring the solution to a boil while stirring to incorporate the salt and sugar into the water.
3. Pour the brining solution into the heat-resistant non-reactive container and add ice cubes to help cool the solution. When the ice cubes have melted, put the container into the refrigerator to cool.
4. Once the brining solution in the container is cool, fully submerge the pork chops into the solution, and cover and put the container back into the refrigerator to brine the pork chops for at least 24 hours. Add more cold water if the brining solution does not fully cover the pork chops.
5. Remove the pork chops after brining for 24 hours and at least one hour before cooking. Discard the brining solution. Wash the pork chops under cold water, pat dry, and finally coat the pork chops with a layer of oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the wood chunks or chips (cherry or apple goes well with pork; but you can use any wood available) for 1 hour before cooking.
2. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one-half of the grill, leaving enough room to cook the pork on the half of the grill where there are no coals. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Add the chunks or chips for smoking.
3. If the pork chops are thick enough, the pork chops can stand upright on the grill, bone side down, and the pork chops can be smoked for the entire cooking time without having to turn them. If the pork chops are not thick enough, then the pork chops will have to be laid down with one side on the grill and will have to be turned over half way through the cooking time. Smoke the pork chops until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork chop registers 135⁰F, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove the pork chops from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.