Reverse Smoke/Seared Double Rack Pork Chop with Kimchi Fried Rice
Pork chops seem to be a controversial topic: you love them or hate them. I happen to be on the side of loving them, but only when they’re cooked properly. And honestly, I think that’s why they’re controversial, because most people are eating dry pork chops, they’re just not cooking them properly. I will tell you that I have figured out the absolute best way to cook a pork chop, ensuring it’s juicy every single time. You’ve heard me talk about the reverse-sear method before to make steak, but what if I told you it’s also the way to make the best pork chops. You cook them low and slow, either on indirect heat or in the smoker, at a consistent low temperature to cook it through and then sear it on a raging hot grill to seal in the juiciness and get a great char and crust on the outside. It’s foolproof every time for a juicy and moist pork chop. Thanks to the new Alchemy Grill, you can smoke low down below and sear up top on the plancha grill, all on the same machine, simultaneously. So what does that mean? It means while your pork chop is smoking at 275F in the lower smoker compartment, you can simultaneously use the top grill to make the most epic kimchi fried rice to go with said pork chops. The hot plancha caramelizes the kimchi and gives it a sweeter, milder taste, mixed in with day-old cooked rice (it’s a must for any fried rice!) soy sauce, garlic, ginger, shallot, and eggs. So easy and so so tasty. I also like to use a double pork chop, so you have the bone in and a thicker piece to ensure all that juiciness stays in the chop. If you’ve never seen a double pork chop at your grocery store, head to your local small butcher shop and ask them to cut some for you. I seasoned my pork chop with some canola oil, oyster sauce and Alchemy Brown Rub (stay tuned) and once seared on the grill had a crispy, caramelized, salty crust and juicy, delicious interior. While your pork chop is on the plancha to sear, crack an egg at the same time and fry it sunny side up. Kimchi fried rice, delicious pork chops and a runny egg make for an epic meal, any time of day. Keep reading to find out how to make it or jump to the full recipe. If you want to find out more about the Alchemy, make sure to sign up for the newsletter on the Alchemy Grills site here.
The first step is to score the fat cap of your double pork chop in a diamond pattern. This will help the fat crisp up nicely.
Drizzle both sides of your pork chop with canola oil, oyster sauce and then season with Alchemy Brown Rub (stay tuned for more news about that, soon). Place your double pork chop in the smoker, and let is smoke at 275F for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135F-140F.
While your pork chop is smoking, make your kimchi fried rice. Start by finely chopping one shallot, two cloves of garlic and a nub of fresh ginger about two inches long.
Place the shallots, garlic and ginger onto the plancha and drizzle with canola oil. Allow to cook until slightly translucent, about one to two minutes. Add your kimchi onto the plancha. Let it cook and caramelize a bit and them mix it into the shallot, garlic and ginger. Continue cooking.
Add your day old, pre-cooked rice to the plancha and drizzle with soy sauce. Mix the rice and let it cook about a minute or two. Crack your eggs on top of the rice and mix, breaking up the egg. Mix in your grilled kimchi, shallots, garlic and ginger. Keep it moving until the egg is scrambled into the rice and cooked, and all the ingredients are combined.
When your eggs are cooked, remove the kimchi fried rice from the grill and into a shallow serving bowl.
Once your pork chop reaches an internal temperature of 135F-140F remove from the smoker and transfer to the plancha to sear, about a minute each side. Make sure to squeeze the juice from half a lemon on one side, flip and squeeze the other half of lemon over the other side. While the pork is searing, crack an egg onto the plancha and cook sunny side up.
When the sunny egg is done cooking, remove from the grill and place on top of your kimchi fried rice. Remove the pork chop from the grill once seared on both sides and transfer to a cutting board.
Cut the bone off of your pork chop and slice the meat. The inside of your pork chop should be juicy and tender and the outside crispy and caramelized.
Lay the sliced pork over your kimchi fried rice, next to your fried egg. Make sure to pour any juice that gathered on your cutting board or plate while you were slicing your pork, over your bowl of pork and fried rice. Top with chilli crisp and chopped green onions.
And now for the full recipe...
Reverse Smoke/Seared Double Rack Pork Chop with Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50
Total time: 65 minutes
Ingredients
Double rack pork chop
1 cup cooked, day old rice 1 large shallot, finely chopped 2 inches ginger, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1 lemon 3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Alchemy Brown rub (stay tuned) 4 tbsp kimchi 3 eggs, divided
1 tbsp chilli crisp 2 sprigs green onion, chopped on a bias
How to Make it
Preheat your smoker to 275F.
Score the fat cap of your double pork chop in a diamond pattern. Drizzle both sides of your pork chop with canola oil. Spread a thin layer of oyster sauce on both sides of the pork chop and then season with Alchemy brown rub. Smoke the double rack pork chop for about 45 minutes or it reaches an internal temp of 135F-140F.
While the pork chop is smoking, prepare your kimchi fried rice. Finely chop your shallot, garlic and ginger. Chop your green onion on a bias and set aside. Add the shallot, ginger and garlic to the plancha and drizzle with canola oil, allow to cook, about 1-2 minutes, mix and allow to cook about a minute more until slightly softened and translucent. Add the kimchi to the plancha and allow to cook and caramelize, mixing occasionally. Add your day old, pre-cooked rice to the plancha, drizzle with soy sauce and mix, allowing to cook about 1-2 minutes. Create two small wells in your rice and then crack an egg into each one, mix together to break up the eggs. Add in the kimchi mixture and continue to move everything around so the egg cooks and scrambles into the rice. Once cooked and crispy, remove from the grill and into a shallow bowl for serving.
Once your pork chop has reached an internal temp of 135F-140F, remove from the smoker. Finish it by searing on the plancha. Squeeze half a lemon over the pork chop, allow to cook about a minute. Flip the pork chop and squeeze the other half lemon over top of the other side of the pork chop. While it sears, crack an egg on the plancha to fry sunny side up. Once the pork is seared on both sides, remove from the grill. Remove the fried egg once cooked and place on top of your kimchi fried rice.
To plate, remove the bone from your pork chop and slice the meat, placing it on top of your kimchi fried rice, next to your fried egg. If you want, include the bone in your bowl, too. It's great to eat the meat off the bone. Garnish with chilli crisp, any juice from the plate/cutting board where you cut your pork chop and green onions. Dig in!
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