Pastrami Spiced Pork Crown Roast, as seen on Symon's Dinners Cooking Out, Season 4.
Recipe courtesy of Michael Symon

Pastrami Spiced Pork Chops with Braised Vegetables

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr 20 min
  • Active: 40 min
  • Yield: 8 servings
Pork and kraut was always around on my Pap’s table, often with a big pork roast or braise. The thing I love about this version is that it cooks up a lot quicker, and you still get the benefit of the moisture and flavor that the kraut brings to the party. Dry pork chops no more! Chicken and duck would also work great in this presentation.

Ingredients

Pastrami Rub:

Directions

  1. Set up a charcoal grill for direct and indirect heat by building the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
  2. Place a large Dutch oven over the direct heat-side of the grill. Add a splash of olive oil, followed by the onions. Sprinkle with salt and let cook to slightly sweat them, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, cabbage, sauerkraut and apple cider. Sprinkle with some pepper, then move the pan to the indirect heat-side of the grill and let cook while you work on the pork chops.
  3. For the pastrami rub: Combine the salt, pepper, celery seeds, garlic powder, smoked paprika, coriander and mustard seeds in a bowl and mix well.
  4. Your grill should be at 360 to 400 degrees F. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, then drizzle with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle liberally with the pastrami rub on all sides. Sear the pork chops on the direct heat-side of the grill until nicely charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the pork chops to the vegetables, then close the lid of the grill and cook until the pork chops are at 150 degrees F internally, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the pork chops from the pan, get rid of the bones, and slice the pork chops into nice slices. To serve, scoop some of the braised vegetables on a plate, top with the sliced pork and garnish with some grainy mustard and chives. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note

Oven method: Roast at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F for another 1 1/2 hours.