Yesterday I soaked some pork loin chops (with the bone attached) in a brine of sugar and salt in water. I smoked them over mesquite-flavored charcoal briquettes with some additional mesquite chips sprinkled over the hot coals.

In our Weber grill, we put the coals on one side, and a foil pan next to them to catch the drippings from the cooking meat. I had several pork chops so I put them together as is they were a roast and threaded a couple of shish kabob skewers through the meat to hold them together. This took up less room on the grill while the chops smoked on the cooler side of the grill over the foil pan.

After about half and hour with the lid on the grill, I pulled out the skewers and finished cooking the chops over the hot coals.

Grilled Smoked Pork Chops

Pork rib chops - center cut, 1 inch thick
2 cups wood chips soaked 30 minutes

Sauce: (or use favorite bottled)
2 tbsp grated onion
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
(1/4 tsp Mesquite flavored Liquid Smoke

Simmer sauce ingredients 5 minutes over medium heat to consistency of catsup and there is 1 cup of it. Pat the chops dry and 2 cut slits in the side fat. Season with 1 tsp salt per chop, front and back, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Skewer the chops together with two skewers close to the bone.

Put foil pan in middle of grill and pour hot coals on each side of it. Sprinkle the wood chips on the coals. Scrub the griddle and grease with oil. Put chops over the pan. Put the lid on with the vent open over the side where the meat is and let cook 1/2 hour until 120 degrees. Use tongs and a towel to remove the skewers. Lay flat and brush with sauce. Flip so sauce side is down. Brown 2 to 4 minutes over coals, and do other side until browned, until 140 degrees in the center. Let rest 5 minutes loosely covered with foil.

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Mr. Kitchentales said it was the best pork chop he ever ate, and he is not one to gush.