Rosemary-Lemon Pork Chops with Ember Smoked Butter

August 1, 2016 Clint Cantwell

Say goodbye to boring pork chops and hello to these flavor rich rosemary-lemon chops with ember smoked butter from our good friend and BBQ pro Jamie Purviance. Just one of countless artistically crafted recipes found in his latest cookbook Weber’s New American Barbecue (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2016), Purviance showcases an innovative cooking technique that involves smoking butter with a live coal!

Highlighting the evolution of barbecue and grilling, the book takes readers on a journey filled with modern spins on numerous classic recipes.

ROSEMARY-LEMON PORK CHOPS WITH EMBER SMOKED BUTTER

Serves: 4| Prep time: 25 minutes| Marinating time: 2 to 4 hours| Grilling time: 6 to 8 minutes

Chilling time: about 1 hour| Special equipment: charcoal grill, all-natural lump charcoal

Ingredients

Marinade

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon country-style Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless or bone-in pork chops, each about 8 ounces and 1 inch thick

Butter

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon country-style Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients, including 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Coat the pork chops on all sides with the marinade, place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Meanwhile, make the butter.

2. In a medium bowl mash the butter ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, with the back of a fork. Form the mixture into a log, 3 to 4 inches long. Set the log in the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Prepare the charcoal grill with all-natural lump charcoal for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 450°F).

4. Lift the pork chops from the bowl, allowing the excess marinade to drip off, and discard the marinade. Grill the chops over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until still slightly pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a metal tray and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the butter lengthwise into four long pieces and set each one on top of a pork chop. Using long-handled tongs, lift a large ember, about the size of an orange, from the bed of charcoal and very carefully set the burning ember on top of each piece of butter for 1 to 2 seconds. The butter will smoke and melt. Return the burning ember to the grill. Serve the pork chops right away.