Our summer series with three of East Tennessee’s premier executive chefs, including David Rule (The Appalachian) and Joseph Lenn (J.C. Holdway), continues with Jeff Carter (Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro). All three are alumni of the acclaimed Blackberry Farm kitchen. Yet, each brings something unique to the table – and to the grill – as they creatively interpret authentic Appalachian culinary experiences. All three love cooking with fire and are generously sharing a favorite grilling recipe along with some pitmaster-level secrets to help our readers elevate their own summertime grill skills. Enjoy!
Jeff Carter, Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro, Townsend, Tennessee
Executive Chef Jeff Carter’s casually elegant, regional cuisine pays homage to Appalachian culinary traditions. He shapes a menu infused with local flavors of the agricultural bounty of the region – organic produce harvested from private gardens and the finest locally sourced ingredients each season to create renowned dishes as inviting to the eye as they are to the palate.
Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops
Pork Rub
Grind 2 Tbsp whole fennel seed, 2 Tbsp whole allspice, ¼ cup whole white peppercorn and ¼ cup whole black peppercorns in spice grinder.
Mix with 2 Tbsp ground cayenne, ¼ cup dried oregano, ¼ cup dried marjoram, 6 Tbsp dried thyme and 6 Tbsp kosher salt.
Sweet Tea Brine Yield 1 ½ gallons
- Bring 2-3 quarts water to a simmer. Add one 2 oz tea bag. Brew 5-7 minutes.
- Combine 2 cups sugar, 275 grams kosher salt, 1 lemon and 1 orange (quartered) in 2-gallon container. Remove tea bags. Pour hot tea into salt mixture container. Stir until dissolved.
- Add 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, and enough cold water and/or ice to reach 1 ½ gallons of total brine. Stir well.
- Brine pork chops 12-16 hours.
Pork Chops
4-6 Bone-in 12 oz pork chops (Duroc or Cheshire if possible)
½ cup Pork Rub
¼ cup Grapeseed oil or a neutral high heat oil
- Remove chops from brine. Place on a sheet pan with rack to dry.
- Rest at room temperature 10-15 minutes.
- Rub each side with oil and 1-2 tsp Pork Rub per side.
- Grill on hot side of grill (400°-450°) turning a quarter turn every 3-4 minutes to get diamond shaped grill marks.
- Move chops to the cooler, indirect side.
- Check internal temperature after 6-8 minutes. Pull chops at 125°-130°.
- Rest 5-6 minutes before serving or cutting.
On His Recipe
“People may skip brining at home because you have to plan in advance. You’re missing a big step in grilling proteins not brining to keep that moisture, and season the protein all the way through, not just the outside, especially with big cuts of meat. Even if you accidentally overcook it, you still have some moisture from brining. I would grill it on lump charcoal, or a Green Egg. That would definitely enhance the flavor of the meat.”
On Grilling at His Restaurant
“We’ve had this pork chop on our menu for a while and it was pan seared in a cast iron. But, we moved to a grill in the kitchen, so we’re grilling our pork chops and our filet of beef. We have a smoker that holds four big sheet pans that can cook 16 pork butts at a time. We use it almost every day – smoking trout, salmon, ribs, pork, tasso, and sausage. It adds a lot of flavor to our menu.”
On Grilling at Home
“We do a lot of grilling at the house, mostly salmon or chicken thighs. They’re huge favorites with our five teenagers. We change the seasoning up quite a bit and make a white barbecue sauce the kids love with chicken thighs (tangy mayonnaise-based apple cider vinegar, sugar, and cayenne pepper). At Thanksgiving, we spatchcocked a turkey [taking the breastplate out of the backbone and laying it flat on the grill] on the Green Egg, which turned out really nice. We dry rubbed it, let it sit in the refrigerator for a few days, and smoked it at 275° for a couple of hours.”
On Grilling Tips
“Let meat sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before grilling. Preheat the grill for 20-30 minutes and don’t overcrowd it. Let meat rest before cutting. Grilling with a two-heat zone gets a good sear on the protein on the hot side, then move it to the other side of the grill, the cooler/indirect side, to let it finish cooking.”
On Today’s Home Grillers
“Technology has advanced so much for home cooks who love to grill. Equipment has gotten so user-friendly. People are better at it, which, in turn, makes them want to grill more. It takes the pressure off the kitchen, whether it’s mom or dad. That’s how we do it. My wife and I share responsibilities for dinnertime, whether inside making the salad and sides or outside grilling proteins, so it’s not all on one person’s shoulders.”
Dancingbearlodge.com
“A lot of people season veggies with olive oil, spices and salt, but don’t grill them immediately, which hinders getting nice grill marks. Salt makes them sweat, leaching out juices so they steam, instead of getting high heat contact to get grill marks or a nice char.”