I suppose it kinda seems as if we’ve been on a pork kick of late; we have, in fact, and these dry-rubbed Red Chili Pork Chops are yet another damned tasty spin on the mighty, and dare we say highly under-appreciated pork chop you’ll want in your arsenal.
We’ve fallen far enough into the pork world that we’re splitting a whole hog (heritage, pasture-raised, grain-finished) with friends in about ten days, and frankly can’t wait to do a bit of curing and bacon-crafting when that bad boy arrives.
Chef Libby in Austin is a big fan of brining chops, even if just for a few hours, to ensure a super-moist grilled chop, and to add just a hint of sweetness to the already sweet-by-nature white meat.
There are hundreds of nifty red chili – paprika – cumin – other good stuff rubs for pork out there; I can’t even remember where we picked this one up along the way. It’s nicely balanced and can stand up to more spice/heat (up the cayenne or use a hotter chili powder blend to suit your tastes), though try this one once before fiddling with it too much.
Another great recipe to prep at home and fire up in camp or on the river…
6 pork rib chops
1 quart cold filtered water
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Stir the water, 2 tbsp salt, and 2 tbsp brown sugar together until fully dissolved; add the chops, weight then down with a plate to fully submerge and throw in the fridge for two hours.
Stir together the next nine ingredients (the rub). Remove the chops, pat dry, dust with the rub, then wrap in plastic wrap and throw back in the fridge for at least two hours and up to 24.
When ready to cook, fire the grill, and set the chops out to come to room temp. Grill for approximately 3 minutes per side to get a nice sear started, then move to a cooler zone on the grill and cook for another 4-6 minutes until done (135 in the center). Pull the chops, cover, and let rest.
The boss likes these with a summery slaw or corn salsa/salad.
Enjoy.
