By November 2020. I am 62 years old, retired from the Postal Service, my days now belong to me and the smoker and Rosetta and the slow unfolding of a life without a mailbag. The week arrived the way weeks arrive in Orange Mound — carried by the rhythm of morning coffee and evening porch-sitting and the steady, patient work of being present in a life that doesn\'t require grand gestures to feel meaningful. Memorial day 2021.
I smoked ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed with the sixteen-spice blend from the mayonnaise jar, five hours at 225 over hickory. The bark cracked when I bit into it and the meat pulled clean from the bone with a gentle tug, and the flavor was deep and layered — smoke, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork itself, each layer revealing itself in sequence like a story told by someone who knows not to rush the ending.
The week ended on the porch, as most weeks do — Rosetta and me, the evening settling over Orange Mound like a hymn that doesn\'t need words. The smoker cooling in the backyard. The house quiet but full. The life continuing, low and slow, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I am teaching whoever comes next. The fire doesn\'t stop. It never has. It never will.
The ribs were the centerpiece, but it’s the philosophy behind them — no rushing, no shortcuts, just seasoning and heat and time — that I carry into every meal I cook now. No-Fuss Pork Chops are the weeknight version of that same lesson: season them well, trust the process, and let the meat do the talking. If you don’t have five hours and a smoker ready, this recipe captures that same deep-pork satisfaction with a fraction of the effort, and it belongs on the Memorial Day table just as much as the ribs do.
No-Fuss Pork Chops
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick, 6–8 oz each)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the rub. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, black pepper, salt, cayenne, and thyme. Stir until evenly blended.
- Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Rub both sides generously with the spice mixture, pressing it into the meat so it adheres. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Heat the pan. Warm olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- Sear the chops. Add pork chops to the skillet in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes on the first side until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes, or until an internal thermometer reads 145°F at the thickest part.
- Rest and serve. Transfer chops to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — this keeps the juices where they belong, inside the meat.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 390mg