Recently Monica and I went to Perry's Steakhouse at La Cantera for our anniversary. It was recommended by our friend Dave. I have to say it was the best recommendation! Perry's has a long history of providing great cuts of meat as it originally opened as a butcher shop and deli over 30 years ago. Here is a link to their page if you are interested.
I remember going to the restaurant not feeling like eating a huge steak; I wanted to save room for dessert! When I looked at the menu I thought, let me try this pork chop. A harmless pork chop, how big can that be. Well, it was huge! It was, as the kids say, ginormous, but it was the best thing I have ever eaten. I have been talking about it for weeks. Here is a picture of it.
So I decided that I wanted to try to make the same thing. Not recreate the Perry's pork chop, just smoke the same cut of meat. Saturday we were at the HEB Central Market and I got to talking to the butcher and asked if he could cut that for me. He did.
The first step was to give it a rub. I picked up some rub while we were at Central Market. I put that on and then proceeded to prepare the barrel smoker.
I put water in the pan and fired up the burner. I got it up to 180 degrees pretty quick and watched it as it settled down and smoke appeared from the smoke stacks.
I kept the smoke can filled with chunks of pecan wood.
I smoked them for 6 hours in the smoker. I finished them on the grill while I also grilled the asparagus, 400 degrees. Made for a yummy supper.
I am overall very satisfied with this. I might try another rub and play with the temps a little more.
On this smoke I also had a problem with the can that hold the chunks. This one has been used quite a bit. It had some holes it from repeated heating. This caused a lot of chunks to catch fire soon after putting them in. I will be getting a new can for the next smoke.
Oh, and I have another rack of pork in the freezer just waiting to be smoked!
Buon appetito!