Cider-Brined Pork Chops: Raichlen hits another one out of the park


 
Grant Cunningham

Grant Cunningham

TVWBB Pro
Tried his recipe for Cider-Brined Pork Chops tonight, and it was OUTSTANDING. Used maple for the smoking wood; love that taste, smokey but light and clean.

Sorry for no pics, but I was so busy gnawing the bones clean I forgot!

Here's the recipe:

barbecuebible.com

Cider-Brined Pork Chops

The apple cider brine gives pork chops a fruity flavor and also helps prevent the pork from drying out on the grill.
barbecuebible.com

For the Lemon Ginger Cider Brine:​

  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 cup coarse salt (sea or kosher)
  • 3 cups cold apple cider
  • 4 strips lemon zest (remove it with a vegetable peeler)
  • 1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

​

  • 4 pork porterhouses or pork rib chops (12 to 16 ounces each), cut 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
  • Booze + Fruit Glaze (see recipe)

RECIPE STEPS​

Step 1: Make the Lemon Ginger Cider Brine. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cider, lemon zest, ginger, and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Arrange the chops in a large baking dish or place them in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the brine over them. If using a plastic bag, lay it in a baking dish to catch any leaks. Brine the pork in the refrigerator for 6 hours, turning several times so they brine uniformly. Drain the chops well, discarding the brine. Blot dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-low (225 degrees). Add wood chunks or chips to the fire. Smoke the pork chops to an internal temperature of 120 degrees. This will take about 1 hour.
Step 4: Transfer the chops to a platter. Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Brush and oil the grill grate.
Step 5: Brush the pork chops on both sides with melted butter. Direct grill until cooked to taste, about 4 minutes per side for medium (150°F on an instant-read thermometer). Give each chop a quarter turn after 2 minutes to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks. After you turn the chops, baste with any remaining butter.
Step 6: Two minutes before they’re done , brush the chops with the Booze + Fruit Glaze on both sides, if using. Brush once more before serving and serve any extra glaze on the side.
 
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I made those quite a while ago, also without glaze.
I agree: very very nice. Had forgotten about it and need to do it again (with my homemade cider)
 
I've generally found Raichlen's seasoning and recipes to be good, even if the ingredients are sometimes hard to source. His First Timer ribs are very good whether its first time or 100th time.

But man, his technique with grills and smokers, he loses me. Lately, I've been binging on his Primal Grill Series of TV shows, from 2008 to 2010. And I hope he's evolved since then, because some of his " rules " are just pure myth. Like soaking his wood chunks and chips to " make them smolder " .
 
I checked the old version (black and white) and the new version (in color) and can't find it.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
I've generally found Raichlen's seasoning and recipes to be good, even if the ingredients are sometimes hard to source. His First Timer ribs are very good whether its first time or 100th time.
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On his shows, he goes heavy on really hot spices — but his published recipes are far more reasonable.

Lynn Dollar said:
But man, his technique with grills and smokers, he loses me. Lately, I've been binging on his Primal Grill Series of TV shows, from 2008 to 2010. And I hope he's evolved since then, because some of his " rules " are just pure myth. Like soaking his wood chunks and chips to " make them smolder " .
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Yeah, some of his early stuff makes me scratch my head. He's definitely adapted his approach over the years.

But not always for the better. For instance, in the early days he was using kettles all the time, but today he tends to feature hyper-expensive grills and "automated" smokers (like the Bradley.) In his last series, he was cooking on a $17k pellet grill! I get that he uses what his sponsors will furnish, but it tends to discourage people who don't have such deep pockets.
 
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Joan said:
Tim, what book is this recipe in?
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Joan, this recipe is out of Raichlen's Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades cookbook.

barbecuebible.com

Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades—Bastes, Butters & Glazes, Too

Steven Raichlen's new cookbook Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades—Bastes, Butters & Glazes, Too now available.
barbecuebible.com

Page 105 for the Cider Brined Pork Chops recipe.

Page 104 for the Lemon-Ginger Cider Brine recipe.

Page 133 for the optional Fruit + Booze Glaze recipe.

This recipe was introduced (reintroduced?) on season 3, episode 308, "Perfect Pig," of Project Smoke in 2017:


Tim, I have the 1998 edition of the Barbecue Bible and couldn't find the recipe in the pork section. Maybe the revised edition has this recipe added to it.
 
Same here, I have the old edition of his Sauces, Rubs and etc.

What a coincidence, I just bumped up some of the recipes I posted from my book.

And I also just picked out Jim Tarantino's book "Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes" to go through and copy some of his recipes this morning before you mentioned Raichlen's book. lol
 
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Back in 2008, I entered a contest called "Early Grillers Challenge" on BarbecueBible.com. I won a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of Barbecue Bible. It is autographed by Steven Raichlen. And now they are coming out with another new version! :rolleyes:
 
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