Kurobuta Pork Chop with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Sharing is caring!

This Kurobuta pork chops recipe is like no other you’ve tried before. Perfectly juicy with a citrusy sweet glaze that compliments the prized pork, this Kurobuta recipe is restaurant quality at home!

Kurobuta pork has been on my bucket list of foods to cook for a while now. It’s funny – some people have a bucket list of places that they want to visit or extreme activities they want to do, but I have a list of different meats and exotic dishes that I want to prepare.

When I said that I live, sleep, and breathe food, I meant it.

So when I saw that Snake River Farms was having a great mix-and-match sale a few weeks ago, I jumped at the opportunity to try their Kurobuta pork chops.

And when you get the chance to grill a prized meat like the purebred Berkshire pork, you’ve got to give it a little special treatment. So we did a mash up of a wet and dry brine with orange liqueur and salt, and then we glazed the double-bone pork chop with our smoked jalapeno pepper jelly while it cooked on the grill.

The result was fantastic! And we’ll definitely be trying this cheesecloth-soaked liqueur method again for other cuts of pork!

What is Kurobuta Pork?

Kurobuta pork is the name for the meat that comes from a Berkshire pig, a rare breed originally from England. With a prestigious pedigree, the pork has a richer flavor with more marbling than regular grocery store pork chops.

“Kurobuta” is the Japanese term for this type of pork, which means “black pig” in Japanese. It’s fitting because I think of Kurobuta as the pork version of Japanese Wagyu. Because of its quality, Kurobuta pork is often considered a delicacy and is more expensive than standard pork.

Where to Buy Kurobuta Pork?

Since this pork is a highly-prized meat, you can’t just walk into your local Kroger and pick out your chops from the meat counter. You’re most likely to find Kurobuta pork at a specialty meat market or local butcher, or from the online meat purveyors down below:

• Snake River Farms – We ordered our double bone Kurobuta pork chop here. We have always been impressed with the quality of Snake River Farms meat.
• The Wagyu Shop – We haven’t personally ordered from this online retailer, but they get great reviews.

Pepper Glazed Kurobuta Pork Chop Video

Making the Orange Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

We glazed our pork chop with a homemade jalapeno pepper jelly with bits of citrus notes from added orange peel. Of course you can buy a jar of orange marmalade or sweet and spicy pepper jelly to use as a pork chop glaze, but since I had just made a fantastic homemade jelly, I decided to use that.

I simply added about 1/2 cup of the jelly to a small saucepan and heated it until it was a glaze-like consistency. Then, I basted the pork chop a few times during the last few minutes on the grill.

You can go here to see how to make my jalapeno pepper jelly. It’s a family favorite, and there’s no canning required!

Brining the Kurobuta Pork Chop

I have to give my friend, Chef Tim Clowers, the credit for this idea. He recently did a similar wet/dry brine on a pork butt, but instead of using orange liqueur, he soaked the cheesecloth in Triple Sec. And since orange flavors pair perfectly with pork, I decided to make my own rendition of his overnight brine idea.

To start, simply sprinkle all sides of the pork chop with salt. Then wrap tightly in cheesecloth and add just enough orange liqueur to the cheesecloth to soak it on all sides. Place the wrapped pork chop on a wire rack on top of a sheet tray and refrigerate uncovered overnight.

How to Reverse-Sear Kurobuta Pork Chops on the Grill

There are so many different ways to prepare thick cut pork chops, whether it’s on the grill or in the oven. But since this was the first time cooking this special cut of meat, I thought it deserved some special treatment in the form of a orange liqueur-soaked cheesecloth wrap and a kiss of smoke and flame from the charcoal grill.

Here’s a closer look at how I prepared this fantastic pork chop:

1. Season the pork chop with your favorite all-purpose seasoning or a simple blend of salt and pepper. Grill or smoke the pork chop at a low-and-slow temperature of about 250 degrees F, until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F.
2. Once the internal temp reaches 120 degrees F, remove the pork chop from the grill and adjust the coals or the pellet grill temp to a higher searing temp, about 450-500 degrees F. *NOTE – Be sure to remove the pork from the grill while you adjust the grill temp. This ensures that the pork has more time to sear at the higher temperature without overcooking.
3. Place the pork chop back on the hot grill. Begin to glaze the pork chop with the orange pepper jelly when there is about 5-7 minutes of cooking time left. Glazing a few times, flipping the chop periodically so that it doesn’t burn. If needed, move it to a cooler zone on the grill.
4. Continue searing the glazed pork chop until the internal temperature reaches about 140-142 degrees F. Then remove from the grill and allow to rest. *NOTE – The internal temperature of the orange-glazed pork chop will continue to rise by a few degrees even after you take it off the grill (carryover cooking).

Can I make this recipe with regular pork chops?

Yes, absolutely! In fact, I encourage you to try this orange glazed pork chops recipe with regular pork chops to save on costs. I recommend well-marbled, thick cut bone-in pork chops. You should be able to find these at most grocery stores. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Pinterest User? Do us a favor and PIN this to your grill or smoker recipes board. This is a GREAT way to support us!

Sharing is caring!