Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Chop with Mashed Potatoes and Caramelized Onion Cider Gravy

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Misplaced Nebraskan

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Sep 20, 2018
1,072
1,103
Austin, TX
Heritage Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Chop, Garlic Compound Butter, Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onion Cider Gravy


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Backstory:

There is an amazing Steakhouse & Grille know as Perry's. Every Friday, they run a Pork Chop Special. A 7 Finger Pork Chop... This pork chop is just outstanding! They have a lunch special of a half sized portion too. I have had it a few times and it is just so good! I finally got around to doing some research and decided to give it a go myself. I watched multiple videos and read various interviews and came up with a plan of action. The gist of the pork chop is this:

  • 5 day dry salt cure​
  • 1 day wet brine​
  • Smoked over Pecan for 6-8 hours​
  • Broiled for crust at the end​

The Journey:

I figured if I was going to attempt this, I would need a good starting point. And I am always looking for excuses to try new things so I ended up ordering a really nice Rack of Pork from The Wagyu Shop. It was an 8 bone rack, weighing in around 6 pounds. Most I found were already frenched and I wanted all the meat I could get and The Wagyu Shop delivered.


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Absolutely pleased with the initial quality of this Pork! Well Marbled and looking good!


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Split into half


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First up was the Dry Cure. I made up a mix of;

  • 3 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 Tsp Cayenne
The pork was coated in the rub, placed on a wire rack, and placed into the garage fridge to rest for 5 days. After 5 days, this was what I was greeted with:


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I rinsed off the pork and made up a wet brine of the following:
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Apple Juice
  • 4 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Dry Thyme
  • Water to cover
I put the pork into the brine and back into the fridge for another 24 hours


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I made up a quick pork rub of equal parts of (1 Tsp each):
  • Paprika
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Ginger powder
  • Onion powder
  • Rosemary powder
  • Ground Mustard
  • Cayenne to preference
This was really great! I will be making more of this!


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Since Perry's does their Chop for 6-8 hours over pecan, I knew I would have to go low and slow for this one. I set up the Glen Blue 26" Weber with a small 3 briquette snake with small pieces of pecan. I was aiming for 175°F-185°F pit temp to get me to 145°F internal temp. I set up the Vortex as a nice heat shield and got the smoke rolling!


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Few Hours in and had to peek...


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The kettle held great right about 185°F and after 5 hours I was at 145°F Internal so I pulled it to hold/rest. I put it into the Alto Shaam at 145°F while I was finishing the sides.


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I made a pot of mashed potatoes (skin included) which consisted of:
  • Russet Potatoes, small cubed, boiled til tender, then mashed
  • 6 Tbsp Butter
  • 1/2 Cup - 3/4 Cup Half and Half
  • Salt and Pepper to taste


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Gravy Time! I know Pork Chops and Applesauce go together, but I wanted to try something different... I started out with a good sized sweet onion, sliced up and into some butter!


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I cooked these over medium heat until nice and caramelized, about 30 mins, then added in the flour


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Next up I added:
  • 1 Cup Apple Cider
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
I let this simmer for a few minutes to thicken up. This stuff is... WOW! The sweetness, the depth of flavor from the caramelized onion... Just wow... It's not an everyday gravy but I highly recommend trying this once!

#TeamGravy tx smoker tx smoker Brokenhandle Brokenhandle :emoji_wink:


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And time to play with my food... One last step was to lightly coat the pork in some granulated sugar and then hit it with a torch for a really nice exterior crunch and sweetness! I had some leftover Garlic rub from a buddy, so I decided to make a compound butter from it for the topping as well.


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Final Thoughts:

I had built this up in my head a lot over the last few days. The bar I was chasing was really high.

I'll start out by saying that it was really really good. The rub on the pork was complex, but cohesive. The torched sugar on the outside took it to another level. The Pecan Smoke was noticeable, but subtle. The meat was just flowing with juice. No dry grey pork here! The potatoes were creamy with a bit of texture and the gravy was just one of the best things. It made for a really great pairing.

The knock I have to give myself is the texture of the pork. The total curing process was too much in my book. It had just started to turn a bit "hammy" or "Canadian Bacon" in texture. Not a lot, but just enough that it made me stop and think.

If I do this again, which I will :emoji_grin: , I will reduce the cure time and brine time to the following:
  • 24 hours Salt Cure in Fridge
  • 12 Hours Brine
  • Smoke at 225°F until 145°F internal for a slightly quicker cook
This was a fun test and a new area for me to play around in. I took lots of notes and am looking forward to another go at it in the future. I'll have to order another one from Perry's someday so I can compare again.


TL;DR


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well... apple flavors included but this scene was in my head for days :emoji_sweat_smile::emoji_joy:



Cheers Y'all!
 
Planning, execution and documentation spot on perfect!! I love a good chop and I bet that was mouth watering. Bookmarking this to try some amazing chops I have from local fresh hog. I also occasionally grab Berkshire pork from a local Kroger that carries if from a farm in Ohio. I believe Saddleberk is the farm name. They sell it for very reasonable prices.
 
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Planning, execution and documentation spot on perfect!! I love a good chop and I bet that was mouth watering. Bookmarking this to try some amazing chops I have from local fresh hog. I also occasionally grab Berkshire pork from a local Kroger that carries if from a farm in Ohio. I believe Saddleberk is the farm name. They sell it for very reasonable prices.

Thanks! I would recommend shortening the curing times as discussed but this is a good jumping off point I think. It had been too long since I've made pork chops and this for sure filled that void! I couldn't find any pork racks locally so I figured if I had to order one, I might as well go with Berkshire haha!
 
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Reactions: jcam222
That looks outstanding! Great job on the planning, execution, and plating...those pics are awesome! The flavors had to be wonderful. And of course the gravy...love the added caramelized onions...GO GRAVY! :emoji_blush:

Ryan
 
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Reactions: Misplaced Nebraskan
That looks outstanding! Great job on the planning, execution, and plating...those pics are awesome! The flavors had to be wonderful. And of course the gravy...love the added caramelized onions...GO GRAVY! :emoji_blush:

Ryan


Thanks Ryan! There was a lot going on but it went really well together. The Gravy was interesting. It's got some sweetness to it from the cider, but once on the spuds and with a piece of pork, it was a great match! The onions were something new I wanted to mix in to add another layer and I will be doing that again. really good, and hope I made #TeamGravy proud! lol
 
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Masterful is the word I was looking for!

I disagree with the "missing the mark" thing... Surely there's some Bob Ross quote that comes to mind!
 
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Reactions: Misplaced Nebraskan
That's EXACTLY what I was referring to !! I think you've made a beautiful meal and I know there's plenty of other photos that didn't make the cut but you're rocking this show !! Keep it up!
Looking forward to some leftovers tonight! Thinking I'll make a sammich out of the stuff on some fresh made sourdough :emoji_grin: can't see how that would be bad.
 
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Reactions: kilo charlie
Absolutely stunning and breathtaking performance Zach...again :emoji_wink: I'd put this up there right at the top with the best looking meals you've showcased here. This one is nothing short of magazine quality, 5-star in all aspects. Another big win for #TeamGravy too!! Hoping this one gets it's fair due and is spinning shortly.

Big LIKE my friend!!
Robert
p.s. we need to hook up and pass off some spicy pickled garlic that's about ready to pop open
 
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Reactions: Misplaced Nebraskan
Absolutely stunning and breathtaking performance Zach...again :emoji_wink: I'd put this up there right at the top with the best looking meals you've showcased here. This one is nothing short of magazine quality, 5-star in all aspects. Another big win for #TeamGravy too!! Hoping this one gets it's fair due and is spinning shortly.

Big LIKE my friend!!
Robert
p.s. we need to hook up and pass off some spicy pickled garlic that's about ready to pop open


Thanks Robert! It is near the top of meals for me now. I'm already thinking of the next batch of gravy (sans the cider). The onion addition is something I want to play more with.

Looking forward to some garlic! I'll have some deviled eggs made up for a swap! I've been craving those too haha.
 
Absolutely!
Frikkin!
Incredible!
Dang Zach, you're killing it at every mark of quality, the meat, prep, cook and presentation.
Extraordinary!


Thanks Chili! Appreciate it! I have a lot of notes scribbled in a word doc from all the research and planning. But it gives me something to go off of next time at least haha.
 
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