I can’t think of a more home-cook meal, than some classic Puerto Rican Fried Pork Chops aka Chuletas Fritas! Marinated in sofrito, white vinegar, with tons of spices, this pork chop recipe packs so much flavor, with plenty of juiciness. Pair it with some arroz con gandules, and you are set!
Prep the Marinade
The first step in making some delicious Puerto Rican style Chuletas Fritas is to prepare the marinade. Now this marinade is not for the bland and boring people. This baby packs layers of FLAVOR! It starts with, my ultimate favorite Puerto Rican condiment (drum-roll) homemade SOFRITO!
Second, it also includes white vinegar, as a tenderizing ingredient. Pork chops can be easily overcooked and result in a dry, tough texture. Including white vinegar helps in relaxing some of the meat fibers in the pork.
Next, we season our marinade with a variety of herbs and spices. Here’s a breakdown of what spices I use:
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Adobo (All Purpose Seasoning)
- Sazon with Achiote
Don’t panic, if you feel like this is a lot of seasonings for one marinade. This recipe is carefully crafted with the right measurements, so you won’t have an overpowering marinade.
Selecting the Right Pork Chop
Before you buy any random cut of pork, selecting the right pork chop is very important. For classic chuletas fritas, I recommend purchasing a center-cut pork chop on the bone. When in doubt, I think of this culinary rule of thumb in the meat world: ALWAYS BUY BONE-IN MEAT!
The principal effect of cooking meat on the bone is that it boosts the flavor and texture, through the bone marrow! The bone also conducts heat within the meat so that it cooks more evenly and prevents meat drying out and shrinking during cooking.
A good example of a center-cut, bone-in pork chop includes a nice amount of marbling. Similar to a steak, marbled pork contains a higher fat contain and as I always say FAT = FLAVOR!
Preparation
With all the flavor in the world, chuletas fritas can still go wrong if you don’t prepare them correctly. The first step to preparing the chuletas perfectly, is to 1) Only marinate the pork for 1 to 3 hours. No more than 10! Because this specific marinade contains white vinegar, you only want the tenderizing effect not the overpowering flavor.
Another step to perfectly prepare chuletas fritas is 2) Don’t over cook your pork. Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F! In this recipe, I recommending pan frying the chuletas in olive oil, on medium high heat, for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remember to rest your chuletas fritas for about 10 minutes (off heat) to ensure a juicy center.
Serve with arroz con gandules, maybe some habichuelas and ENJOY!
Stay Connected
- Arroz con Gandules Recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLlu1iwv4KA
- Habichuelas Guisadas Recipe: https://www.nataknowsbest.com/habichuelas-guisadas-puerto-rican-stewed-red-beans/
- For more delicious recipes, subscribe to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/nataknowbest
Chuletas Fritas – Puerto Rican Fried Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 pound center-cut bone-in pork chops (2 chuletas)
- 2 tablespoons sofrito (homemade preferably)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon adobo all purpose seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 packet sazon with achiote
Instructions
- Begin by preparing your marinade. Inside a plastic zip bag, place the center cut pork chops. Before doing so, remember to pat dry the pork chops to ensure maximum adhesion of seasonings.
- In the bag, add sofrito, white vinegar, olive oil and the mixture of spices and herbs. Massage the marinade into the pork for a few minutes.
- Securely close the bag and place the marinade pork in the fridge for no more than 3 hours. Allow the pork to finish marinating and tenderizing.
- In a skillet, on medium-high heat, add some olive oil and place the marinade pork in the center. Cook the pork chop for 4 – 5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Once evenly cooked, rest the pork chop off heat for 10 minutes. This will allow the pork to retain it's juices.
- Carefully slice and serve with rice. Enjoy!
