BBQ My Way: Smoked pork chop with pizzaiola sauce

I love pork chops. Liz, not so much. I think pork chops are a blank culinary canvas capable of taking on all kinds of flavors and textures. Liz thinks pork, unless smoked or stuffed with an interesting filling, is simply boring. This recipe is definitely an exception, as it passed the “Liz test.”

There is a chef who I get a kick out of by the name of Nick Stellino. He is from Italy originally but has been here in the states for sometime now. This is his recipe, slightly altered with the smoking of the pork chops. I also added some gnocchi. Some of the amounts have been altered to fit our taste. He (Nick) uses his own pork rub, which is very similar to my pork rub recipe. He stated that he picked up this idea from the world of American barbecue. Heck, I’ve published mine a number of times. For all I know it’s my pork rub recipe. If so I am flattered. Either way, let’s get started.

SMOKED PORK CHOP WITH PIZZAIOLA SAUCE

4 bones pork chops (from the loin) cut to 1-inch thickness

2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

Dave’s pork rub (Google “Dave’s pork rub BBQ My Way”)

Sauce ingredients

1 12-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried)

2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

10 to 12 ounces of potato gnocchi (optional)

Place the pork chops one at a time in a zip-close bag and with a rolling pin, gently pound each chop until roughly 1/3 of an inch thick. Place cops in a smoker and smoke at a very low temperature (I use a pellet smoker and set at 150 degrees) and allow them to smoke for 30 minutes or so. If you don’t want a smoky flavor, you can skip this step.

Now the sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a cold skillet and set the heat to medium-high. Saute the garlic until it begins to turn golden. Now add the pepper flakes, oregano, basil and parsley. Saute for another minute or so. Wow, doesn’t that smell good? Lastly, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Allow to simmer on low.

Bring a skillet of vegetable oil, 1/2-inch deep, to frying temperature. Take each flattened chop and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides liberally with Dave’s pork rub (or your favorite pork rub) and dredge both sides in the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Just before you start frying the chops, add the uncooked gnocchi to the sauce. Fry both sides until golden brown and place on a paper towel. Lastly, place the chops in the sauce and allow the chops to sit and finish cooking until the pork is firm to the touch or reaches 145 degrees in the middle of the chops. To serve, pour a few spoonfuls of sauce (and gnocchi if you included it) on a warm plate and place a crispy pork chop on top of it. We served our chops with sauteed Swiss chard. Enjoy!

Dave Lobeck is a financial advisor by day and a BBQ enthusiast on nights and weekends. He is also a Kansas City Barbecue Society  judge. You can contact Dave with your BBQ and grilling questions at www.BBQ-My-Way.com.