Poppers and Pork Chops on the Meadow Creek PG25

During a recent visit with my in-laws in upstate NY, we fired up the Green Mountain Grill for Sunday lunch to cook some of my father-in-law’s farm-raised pork chops. They were simply excellent—thick, tender, with an outstanding pork flavor.

I brought a few home to cook over charcoal and share with you here on the blog. Jalapeno poppers were on my mind, so we made a batch of those as well. What a meal—thick-cut, savory pork chops and cheesy, spicy, crunchy inside a spiral of bacon—fit for barbecue heaven!

A note about sourcing pork: Most pork chops are lean and easy to overcook, but many of the small farms still breed heritage pork or a variation of it with more flavor than the conventional pork you can buy at the supermarket. Don’t underestimate the value of spending more to get quality meat!

Back to the recipe, one of my all-time favorite seasonings for pork is the Meadow Creek Brisket Rub. First, I seasoned them on both sides with the rub and set them aside while I made the poppers. Notice how the dry rub turned into a paste on the meat.

Next, I rinsed and prepared the jalapeno peppers. All you have to do is remove the stems, cut the pepper in half lengthwise, and push the center vein out with your thumb. I would recommend wearing disposable gloves for this step.

I used cream cheese and freshly-shredded mild cheddar cheese for the stuffing.

Use a spoon to push the cream cheese into the pepper boats as shown above.

Arrange some shredded cheese on top.

Sprinkle some seasoning over that. I used Heaven Made It’s Incredible.

Wrap each piece with a slice of bacon, and then season them again. I used freshly-sliced John F Martin’s bacon from a local deli. Good stuff right there!

Now the pork chops and poppers are ready to hit the grill.

For this recipe I’m using my Meadow Creek PG25 Patio Grill. You want to light the charcoal before you start making the poppers, so it is ready to go once the food is prepared for the grill.

I lit one chimney full of lump charcoal, then dumped that out onto the charcoal pan and added a little more unlit charcoal to that (maybe half a chimney full). Next, I used a small shovel to spread the coals out evenly, arranging a thinner layer of coals on the left end for the peppers.

Rolling smoke… this is the life you’ve been looking for.

After 10 minutes (above), the chops are getting some color and the peppers are beginning to soften.

I turned the chops a few times to keep them cooking evenly.

My target internal temperature on these bone-in pork chops was 165 degrees F because they are well-marbled. If you’re cooking lean supermarket chops, I recommend cooking them to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (the USDA’s minimum recommended temperature for pork chops).

A few minutes before taking them off the grill, I glazed them with an all-natural honey barbecue sauce, after nearly 30 minutes on the grill.

The peppers were lagging a bit, so after 40 minutes on the grill, I moved them to the hotter zone to speed up the crisping of the bacon. By then the pork chops were done, and I took them off shortly after that.

By now the cheese is melted but not too runny.

Beautiful!

These were on the grill for about 50 minutes. You could do them quicker, but this way they had more time to absorb smoke flavor.

An entire plate full of tasty goodness! The intersection of heat, creamy smoothness, and Chris P. Bacon is nothing short of tantalizing.

My wife made a lettuce salad to balance out the meal, and everything was amazing.

The Meadow Creek PG25 is a pleasure to cook with. I’ve done all-day cooks in large smokers, such as Big Black, and turned out lots of food. There is great satisfaction in having a cooker large enough to handle a crowd and watching 100 people enjoy your food, but at the same time, it is a lot of work. Cooking on the PG25 is a more intimate experience—just you and the family, or maybe a couple of friends, enjoying a quiet evening on the deck.

That’s where the PG25 shines. Firing the grill and cooking one meal at a time, just like you would on a Weber Kettle—except that it’s a Meadow Creek and designed to outlast the cheap grills you see at the chain stores.

Until next time, be inspired and keep it smoking!

Sizzling regards,

Lavern Gingerich

PS. Click the link below for suggested retail pricing on the PG25 Patio Grill and to request a quote from your local Meadow Creek dealer.