Smoked Pork Chops Recipe – Oma's Kasseler (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to smoke pork chops at 225 degrees? ›

Smoking the pork chops at 225°F for 90 minutes – 2 hours means the pork chops will absorb all of the delicious smoky flavors, without drying the pork chops out. This is what keeps them so tender!

The great thing about smoked meats—besides the wonderful flavor—is that they come fully cooked, requiring a simple warm-up on the stove, grill, or oven. For our recipe, you'll need fully cooked smoked pork chops, and just a few minutes in a frying pan, under the broiler, or on the grill.

Brining the Pork Chops

It adds lots of moisture to the meat and it adds flavor so it's well worth your time to do it. Add 1/2 cup of kosher salt to 1/2 gallon of apple cider and stir until all of the salt is dissolved.

Our German Smoked Pork Chops come from the center cut loin and are cured and smoked for exceptional flavor. Around Amana, they are known as Kassler Rippchen. They're fully cooked, so simply heat and serve.

I keep the recipe fairly simple but we get a ton of flavor into the meat by using a brine. Also the layered seasonings add a nice touch on the outside so you don't need a sauce with these chops.

If you have the time, 225°F is an excellent sweet spot for low-and-slow cooked pork butt. At this temperature, you can also use Super Smoke if your Traeger has that capability. You can cook it at 225°F for the entire time, or raise the smoked pork butt after a few hours of speed cooking along.

Overcooked Pork Chops Are Tough

This is partly due to carry-over cooking. Even when you take the chops out of the oven or off the stovetop, they still continue to cook a tiny bit due to the retained heat. And it's often this little bit that can take them from tender to tough.

Season generously on all sides with Hardcore Carnivore Red rub. Place the chops into the smoker and allow to cook until internal temperature reaches 138f. This will take about 1-2 hours depending on thickness. Spritz the pork chops with the water/cider mixture every 20 minutes.

If you see a little pink in the center but the thermometer reads 145, don't fret! The pork is cooked throughout, and you're good to go. The time it takes to cook your chops is going to vary slightly depending on what smoker you use, how thick your chops are, and how hot your grill is.

It's all in the rub!

The first thing we do when preparing for the smoking process is to season and rub the pork a day in advance. We like to season using salt and pepper separate from the rub because it allows us to gauge exactly how much of each ingredient we are using.

Why is my smoked pork so dry? ›

One of the main factors contributing to a dry pork roast is overcooking, which causes the muscle fibers to contract and release their natural juices — even if it's cooked just a couple of minutes too long. This mistake is often a result of the fear of undercooking pork for safety reasons.

Best Seasoning for Pork Chops

Thyme and sage add herby and floral notes complementing pork's flavor exceptionally well. There's also a combination of smoked paprika, pepper, and a little bit of cayenne pepper, which all give your pork chops a lovely, not overly spicy, kiss of heat.

In 99.9999% of the cases everything you buy fresh in Germany is safe even if eaten raw (Meat especially). I always ate Kassler raw without even thinking about it. Never had a problem.

Kassler (German: [ˈkaslɐ]) or Kasseler in German cuisine is the name given to a cured and slightly smoked cut of pork similar to gammon. It can be either hot or cold smoked. Pork necks and loins are the most often used cuts although ribs, shoulders and bellies can also be used.

It takes approximately an hour to smoke a 1 inch pork chop at 225 degrees F (or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F).

Some people wash their meat after brining. You can do this, but just patting them dry works as well. Personal preference!

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Drizzle olive oil on all sides of the pork chops and evenly season with my Signature Sweet Rub. Smoke those pork chops! Place the chops on the smoker and cook until the internal temp reads 145 degrees F with a reliable meat thermometer (approximately 60-90 minutes). Tent, rest, and serve.

However, if the pork is cooked too long, it may become dry and hard instead of tender. When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 210 degrees F or more, the muscle fibers become tougher, and the meat becomes dry and chewy.

What is the best temperature to smoke pork? ›