How to Make Smoked Pork Chops with Apple Glaze

Ingredients

• 6 bags apple tea
• 4 cups boiling water
• ½ cup fine sea salt
• ½ cup powdered erythritol (optional)
• 4 center cut, bone-in pork chops, about 1½ inches thick

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon powdered erythritol
• 1 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground dried thyme
• MCT oil

• 1 apple tea bag
• ¼ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, coconut oil, or bacon fat, softened
• ¼ cup powdered erythritol
• 1 teaspoon apple extract
• Pinch of fine sea salt (omit if using bacon fat)

Make the brine
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, steep the 6 apple tea bags in the 4 cups of boiling water for 3 minutes. Squeeze out any liquid in the bags and discard. Add the salt and erythritol, if using, to the tea. Stir until all of the salt is dissolved. Pour the brine into a large shallow lasagna pan or casserole dish and allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Place the pork chops in the dish and submerge them in the cooled brine. Place into the fridge and let the chops brine for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you desire.
3. While the chops are brining, soak the wood chips and blocks in water for 1 hour.
4. Once the chops are done brining, take them out of the fridge and rinse well under cold water. Dry well and set aside.
Make the rub
5. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, erythritol, onion powder, salt, and thyme until well combined.
6. Brush the chops with a little MCT oil, then generously season both sides with the rub mixture, rubbing it all over the meat.
7. Let the chops rest at room temperature while you prepare your smoker. Before firing up your smoker, read the manufacturer’s directions. There are wood, electric, propane, and charcoal smokers, and each type works differently. Start the smoker and if it came with a water bowl, add water to it. Add the soaked wood chips and blocks. When the temperature reaches 225°F you can start smoking the chops.
8. Place the pork chops on a rack or right on the smoker grate for maximum smoke exposure, leaving about 1 inch between the chops so the smoke can penetrate the sides of the meat.
9. Smoke the chops until their internal temperature reaches 145°F, which is the safe temperature the USDA suggests for pork. Smoking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chops. If you are using 1½-inch-thick chops, it will take about 2 hours to reach 145°F.
While the meat smokes, prepare the glaze
10. Steep the apple tea bag in ¼ cup of boiling water for 3 minutes. Squeeze water from bag and discard the bag. Add the butter, erythritol, apple extract, and salt (omit the salt if you used bacon fat instead of butter). Place in a blender and puree until smooth. As the fat cools a bit the mixture will become a nice paste to smear on top of the chop.
11. Remove the chops from the smoker and serve with the apple glaze.