SMOKED WILD BOAR CHOPS WITH ECUADORIAN INSPIRED PEANUT SAUCE

Photo by Larry White

Smoked chops has to be one of my favorite dishes to prepare from a wild hog. It's an easy crowd-pleaser that just plain freakin delicious. And with the help of the flavor forward brine, it's kicked up quite a few notches.

The peanut sauce is a spin on a killer Ecuadorian style sauce. It's surprisingly versatile and pairs well with meats, rice, fish, eggs, potatoes and cheese. It's also one of those sauces that benefits for sitting in the refrigerator for a day to let the flavors meld. So if you can swing it, make this sauce the day before you plan on using it. It will keep refrigerated for up to a week.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 double bone-in hog chops

Brine Ingredients

• 1 gallon of water

• 1 cup kosher salt

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

Peanut Sauce Ingredients

• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (real natural unsweetened peanut butter)

• 1/2 coconut milk

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

• 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ground cumin (toasted if possible)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

• salt to taste

• 1 tablespoon (or season to taste. I like extra lime)

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the brine. In a large pot bring 1 quart of the water to a simmer. Reserve the remaining 3 quarts of water. Add the remaining brine ingredients except the reserved water and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 3 quarts of water. Refrigerate until it is thoroughly chilled. Once the brine is chilled, add the chops and brine for 4 to 6 hours.

2. While the chops are brining make the peanut sauce. In a large bowl add all of the ingredients except the lime juice and salt. Stir vigorously until the sauce is combined (using a whisk helps). Stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.

3. Heat your smoker to 200 degrees F. Remove the chops from the brine and rinse them under cold water. Discard the brine. Dry the chops off thoroughly.

4. Smoke your chops. Here are two methods for cooking your chops. The first is to simply smoke your chops until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. The second method is to smoke your chops until the internal temperature is 145 degrees F and then sear it on all sides in hot pan or grill until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. The second method gives you a crust and more depth of flavor.