Smoked Pork Chops with Braised Cabbage & Fruit Butter

To cold-smoke the chops: Lay out the pork chops on a cooling rack, ignite 2 cups of bourbon barrel wood chips in a small cast iron skillet until well lit. Place the skillet in the bottom of a roasting pan and then surround the pan with the ramekins or small bowls that have been turned over. Moving quickly, layer a small pan with ice cubes and set over the ramekins. Place the cooling rack with the pork chops over the ice and place on the lid over the entire pan. Smoke for 45 minutes to an hour.

For the Braised Cabbage: In a medium skillet heat oil, add shallots and apple stirring well to coat and cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Mix in cabbage, cider, cider vinegar, picked thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper. Cover the skillet and turn down heat to low, and continue cooking for 1 hour.

For the Fruit Butter: Mix together the dried fruit and scotch. Let sit for one hour or overnight and then drain. In a food processor, whip butter, salt, and pepper and then add in the macerated fruit. Pulse until well mixed but still chunky.

For the Pork Chops: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly season both sides of the smoked chops with salt. Pan sear in oil over medium heat, first on one side and flipping to finish. Move the pork chops in the skillet into the oven to finish cooking oven, approx. 10 – 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees for medium rare or 160 degrees for medium.

Serve the pork chops over the braised cabbage and top with the fruit butter.