Espresso-Rubbed Pork Chops
A coffee and chile rub on bone-in chops, cooked over a grate at camp.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 8 oz
- cal / oz
- 53
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 20 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Real dishes
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Bone-in pork chops | 4 | about 1 inch thick, packed frozen on day one |
|---|---|---|
| Instant espresso powder | 1 tbsp | |
| Paprika | 1 tbsp | |
| Brown sugar | 2 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 1/2 tsp | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground cumin | 1/2 tsp | |
| Chipotle powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cooking oil | 1 tbsp | for the grate |
| Dried red chilies | a few | optional, for the fire |
Method
- Build a fire and let it burn down to coals. You want an even bed, not flames.
- Set the grate a few inches over the coals and let it heat while you work.
- Rub the spice mix over both sides of each chop. Press it in.
- Oil the grate. Lay the chops down and leave them alone for four minutes.
- Flip. Move them to the cooler edge of the grate and cook eight to ten more minutes, until the center reads 145F or the juices run clear at the bone.
- Pull them off and let them sit five minutes before cutting. Toss the chilies on the coals in the last minute if you want the smoke.
Espresso in a rub is not a gimmick. Ground coffee is bitter and dark-roasted, which is the same register as char, so it reads as more fire than the fire actually gave you. The brown sugar is there to caramelize on contact with the grate, and the two teaspoons is a ceiling, not a suggestion. More than that and the rub burns black before the pork is done.
The original is a sear-then-oven recipe, which nobody has at camp. A two-zone fire does the same job: hot coals for the crust, the cooler edge of the grate to finish the middle without scorching the outside. Bone-in chops are the right cut for this because the bone slows the center down and gives you room to be imprecise. Rest them. Cutting early dumps everything you just cooked into the dirt.
Packing
Mix the whole rub at home in one small jar or bag. Chops go in the cooler frozen and vacuum sealed, cooked the first or second night.
Variations
- A cast iron skillet on the grate works if the coals are uneven.
- Skip the chipotle and double the paprika for kids.
- The same rub works on chicken thighs, which are cheaper and more forgiving.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/espresso-rubbed-bone-pork-chops