Smoked Pork Chops Stuffed with Gouda and Bacon
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Big fat, butterflied pork chops stuffed with shredded gouda cheese and crispy pieces of bacon smoked until perfectly done and the delicious melted cheese is oozing out from the edges. That's what I call pure goodness!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Smoker Temp: 225°F (107°C)
- Meat Finish Temp: 145°F (63°C)
- Recommended Wood: Cherry
- 4-6 butterflied pork chops (thick chops are best)
- 3 TBS Spicy brown mustard
- ½ cup Jeff's original rub
- 3/4 cup Gouda cheese, shredded (about 2 TBS per pork chop)
- 1 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled (~2 slices per pork chop)
- Butcher's twine
- Leave-in meat thermometer such as the Smoke thermometer
Cook bacon until it is crispy. You will need ~2 slices per pork chop.
Make extra so you'll have some to nibble on;-)
Let it cool then crumble into small to medium sized pieces.
Buy already shredded cheese or you can buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.
I shredded about a cup of cheese so I had leftovers. You'll only need about 2 TBS per pork chop.
Mix 2 TBS of shredded cheese and 2 slices of crumbled bacon for each pork chop you plan to smoke.
I purchased pork chops that were already butterflied and ready to go.
First, we'll season the inside just a little with my original rub .
Add a little spicy brown mustard to help the rub to stick. pread it all over with your hands or a basting brush.
Sprinkle my original rub on the top
Place some of the cheese/bacon mixture onto the top of the pork chop covering only half of it so you can fold it over.
Fold the butterflied pork chop over on top of itself
Apply some spicy brown mustard to the outside of the stuffed pork chops
Rub the mustard all over the top and bottom of the pork chop then sprinkle Jeff's original rub on both sides generously.
Cut (3) 24 inch pieces of butchers twine for each pork chop to tie it up.
Lay the pieces of twine parallel and at about 2 inch intervals.
Lay the pork chop on top of the twine.
Loop each piece of twine over the stuffed pork chop, pull it tight and tie a knot that will hold.
Trim the extra string with scissors or a sharp knife.
Place the tied up, stuffed pork chops on a cooling rack, Weber grill pan or cookie sheet and they are ready for the smoker.
Set up your smoker for cooking indirectly at about 225°F (107°C) using cherry or your favorite smoking wood.
If your smoker uses a water pan, fill it up.
Once the smoker is ready, place the stuffed pork chops directly on the grate or if you use racks, you can just place the rack onto the smoker grate.
I recommend placing a digital probe meat thermometer such as the new Smoke X by ThermoWorks into one of the pork chops (or 3 of them, just because you can) so you'll know when it is perfectly done.
Here's a review for the Smoke X thermometer so check it out to see if it might serve your needs to keep yourself and your friends and family safe when you cook.
You can expect the pork chops to take from 1.5 to 2 hours depending on actual thickness, how often you open the lid, weather conditions, and how cold the meat was when it went into the smoker.
If you are using a smoker that is not fueled by wood, you should apply smoke for at least an hour. I usually keep a light smoke going for the entire time to replicate the real wood smoker experience.
Ultimately, the pork chops are done and ready to eat when they reach 145°F (63°C).
Serve the pork chops as they come off the smoker if possible so your family, friends and guests will get to experience the dish at it's very best and while the cheese is still very melty.
Oh.. and don't forget to cut and remove the butchers twine ;-)
Smoked Pork Chops Stuffed with Gouda and Bacon
Ingredients
- 4-6 butterflied pork chops (thick chops are best)
- 3 TBS Spicy brown mustard
- ½ cup Jeff's original rub
- ¾ cup Gouda cheese (shredded (about 2 TBS per pork chop)
- 1 lb Bacon (cooked and crumbled (2 slices per pork chop)
- Butcher’s twine
Instructions
- Cook bacon until it is crispy. You will need 2 slices per pork chop.
- Make extra so you’ll have some to nibble on.
- Let it cool then crumble into small to medium sized pieces.
- Buy already shredded cheese or you can buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.
- I shredded about a cup of cheese so I had leftovers. You’ll only need about 2 TBS per pork chop.
- Mix 2 TBS of shredded cheese and 2 slices of crumbled bacon for each pork chop you plan to smoke.
- I purchased pork chops that were already butterflied and ready to go.
- First, we’ll season the inside just a little with my original rub.
- Add a little spicy brown mustard to help the rub to stick
- Sprinkle my rub on the top
- Place some of the cheese/bacon mixture to the top of the pork chop (one of the sides only)
- Fold the butterflied pork chop over on top of itself
- Apply some spicy brown mustard to the outside of the stuffed pork chops
- Rub the mustard all over the top and bottom of the pork chop then sprinkle Jeff's original rub on both sides generously.
- Cut (3) 24 inch pieces of butchers twine for each pork chop to tie it up.
- Lay the pieces of twine parallel and at about 2 inch intervals.
- Lay the pork chop on top of the twine.
- Loop each piece of twine over the stuffed pork chop, pull it tight and tie a knot that will hold.
- Trim the extra string with scissors or a sharp knife.
- Place the tied up, stuffed pork chops on a bradley rack or cookie sheet and they are ready for the smoker.
- Set up your smoker for cooking indirectly at about 225°F (107°C) using cherry or your favorite smoking wood.
- Once the smoker is ready, place the stuffed pork chops directly on the grate or if you use racks, you can just place the rack onto the smoker grate.
- Place a digital probe meat thermometer into one of the pork chops so you’ll know when it is perfectly done.
- You can expect the pork chops to take from 1.5 to 2 hours depending on actual thickness, how often you open the lid, weather conditions, and how cold the meat was when it went into the smoker.
- If you are using a smoker that is not fueled by wood, you should apply smoke for at least an hour. I usually keep a light smoke going for the entire time to replicate the real wood smoker experience.
- Ultimately, the pork chops are done and ready to eat when they reach 145°F (63°C).
- Serve the pork chops as they come off the smoker if possible so your eaters will get to experience the dish at it’s very best and while the cheese is still very melty.
- Don’t forget to cut and remove the butchers twine.
Hey Jeff.
Cooked these up today on my 36″ Camp Chef. Very tasty, but kind of dry. Any thoughts on bringing out the moisture content. Thought about next time putting them on a rack in an aluminum pan and dump a bottle of a good ipa under them. Keep up the good work. “Where there’s smoke……..there’s good food”
Blessing to you and your family in these crazy times.
Fixed this tonight – wife not crazy about pork chops… she asked when we could have this again! Good job, Jeff. Cooked on Camp Chef Woodwind, high smoke (220 degrees), smoke level 10.
Sounds like a success to me ;-) Thanks for letting me know!
I noticed that you didn’t brine the pork. I so often find pork too dry.
Did these Monday and totally fantastic! My wife was skeptical when I told her I had something new to try, but within two bits, literally, she was making yummy sounds. We both looked forward to left overs (one and a half chops) the next day and I think it was even better then!
Jason, I’m glad to hear that these turned out great! sounds like your wife may be a little more “open to the idea” the next time you suggest something new😀
Smoked these at 235 and turned out great. Had corn on the cob under them and they turned out great as well. Thanks Jeff you are great at what you do.
Mine are not tender at 155. They are just too tough. Any help? Cook longer? I was cooking at 225
Mine are tender at 155. They are still too tough.
OMG – This was awesome! Made this today. Used bone in chops. It did cook faster than i anticipated. I pulled them at 153 degree internal temp and they were juicy and tender.
My husband smoked these and the flavor was good, but the gouda was almost gone. Part of the problem was that it was 153 when he pulled it. Also, we let it rest of 25-30 minutes and put it on the grill to warm it up. Which do you think did the most to dry it out?
I also pulled mine at 153. No issues with that so I’d guess it was the warm up. Did you tie em up tight enough? The cheese does melt to a thin layer but I didn’t lose any : )
Wow. Used Jeff’s Rub and this was great. First item I cooked on my Lil Texas Elite. Pork on Pork crime is my favorite. The stuffing with Bacon and Gouda was fantastic. I used regular Gouda not smoked. Had some issue keeping temperature of grill stable but instant read thermometer made it easy to know when done. Getting the butterflied pork chops was clutch too. Looking forward to my next smoking adventure.
Put a few craisins in the mix -even Better!
Enjoyed this!
A Crowd Pleaser!! A great 4th of July dinner with friends and family. A must try and even better the next day!!!
Made this last week; it was amazing. I had friends and family threatening to report my pictures on FB as “food porn”, and it tasted as good as it looked. Thanks!
Tried the smoked pork chop stuffed mozzarella cheese and bacon (wife doesn’t like gouda cheese). Excellent! I followed the recipe with the exception of cheese. Very very good. My co-workers will be in envy once I heat one of these chops at lunch.