Faking a BBQ

Connor is heading to his Dad's for a few days and we already know Aaron's not going to be home so it looks like it's just me and Little Miss J for dinner tonight, scratch that, me, Little Miss J and my mom because she's coming after her spin class.  I've had a craving for BBQ lately, probably because it warms up for a day then gets cold and then warms up again, but it's going to be too much work to get the BBQ in action tonight so I'm going to have to fake it. 

We bought these boneless pork loin chops at Costco awhile ago and they are HUGE...2" thick and just monster chops and since I'm onto BBQ, I figured why not cook them up. The problem with these monster chops is how to cook them so that they're not black on the outside and raw on the inside.  I did a lot of searching to find a way to suit my purpose tonight and I think I've come up with my solution. 

You'd Think They Came Off The Grill...THEY DIDN'T!!

First, I'm going to give them a quick brine, then a good sear with a dry rub and finally into the Dutch Oven with a homemade BBQ sauce to finish them off in the oven.  Hopefully this will quench my craving for BBQ and while I'm at it, I'm going to broil some asparagus so I can get as close to my summer BBQ as possible.  Still trying to figure out whether I want to do potatoes, rice or quinoa...hmmm, probably be a last minute decision but I'm leaning towards steamed potatoes.

Baked Pork Chops BBQ Style

For the Brine

4 c. Water
1/4 c. Coarse Salt

For the Dry Rub

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 Tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Dry Mustard

For the BBQ Sauce

My secret BBQ Sauce ingredient:)

1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar, packed
1 1/4 c. Ketchup
2/3 c. Cider Vinegar
1/2 c. Water
2 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
2 1/2 Tsp Dry Mustard
2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tsp Liquid Smoke
1 Tsp Coarse Salt
1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Onion, diced
3 Celery Stalks, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Butter

For the Chops

3 2" Thick Boneless Pork Loin Chops
2-3 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Start off by brining the chops, lay them in a single layer in a bowl with a lid and mix the salt and water together and pour that over them.  Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for an hour and a half.  Take them out and let the chops sit at room temperature for about a half hour. 

Mix up the dry rub by combining all the ingredients together.

Get the BBQ sauce ready next, start by taking the Dutch Oven and over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onions and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Combine the remaining ingrediants in a large bowl and stir to combine, add them to the mix and bring the entire mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow it to thicken up a bit.

While the BBQ is simmering, take the dry rub and, well, rub it all over the chops and preheat your oven to 350F.

Take a large skillet, preferably not non-stick, and heat up 2 Tbsp of the avocado oil of medium high heat.  Add the chops and sear them, 2-3 minutes per side...do your best not to peek:)  If you feel the need to add the additional oil, do so...you're almost "blackening" them, it'll get a little smoky.  Then using tongs, set them up on their sides and sear them as well, about 30-45 seconds a side.

Once the chops are done, add them to the BBQ sauce, cover and shoot them into the oven.

Cook until they reach an internal temperature of about 140F, I did mine an hour and a half, but I think an hour would do.

Serve them up and spoon some of the leftover BBQ sauce on them...so smoky good...they passed the BBQ test:)

Check out what we had with them to complete my summer BBQ in March:)