Chuletas Ahumadas con Piña
Chuletas Ahumadas con Piña·(choo-LEH-tahs ah-oo-MAH-dahs kohn PEE-nyah)
La Comida Rápida de Abuela: Weeknight Lifesavers
Drop the chops into a hot cast-iron skillet and let the rendered fat hiss against the metal, because Cuban home cooking is built on brilliant pragmatism over raw garlic and citrus. By skipping marinades and leaning into the savory utility of pre-smoked pork chops, you build a glossy pan sauce out of canned pineapple juice, a splash of dry wine, and whole cloves. Toss canned pineapple rings into the fat, keep the heat high, and serve a plate that tastes exactly like six-thirty on a Tuesday in a first-generation home.
Before you start
Start your rice the moment you walk in the door.
This is a 15-minute meal from start to finish, so get your long-grain white rice going in the cooker before you start chopping.
Have your aromatics ready before the pork hits the heat.
The cooking process moves incredibly fast, so have your onions sliced, garlic minced, and cans opened before you begin searing.
Ingredients
- bone-in smoked pork chops4 med
- canned pineapple slices in juice20 oz
- yellow onion1 large
- fresh garlic3 small
- butter or neutral oil1 tbsp
- dry white wine or dry vermouth1/4 cup
- Dijon or yellow mustard1 tsp
- whole cloves3 small
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Sear the pork chops to wake up the flavor.
Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the dried pork chops for two to three minutes per side before setting aside on a plate.
- 02
Sauté the onions in the residual pork drippings.
Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced onions to the remaining pork fat, and cook for three to four minutes until softened and scraping up the fond, tossing in the garlic for the final thirty seconds.
- 03
Caramelize the pineapple rings.
Push the onions to the edges of the skillet, lay down four to six pineapple slices in the center, and cook for about two minutes per side until slightly golden.
- 04
Build the sweet and savory pan glaze.
Pour in the reserved pineapple juice, dry wine, mustard, and whole cloves, bringing it all to a lively simmer to reduce for five to seven minutes until it forms a thick, glossy syrup.
- 05
Lacquer the pork and serve immediately.
Return the chops and any resting juices to the pan, nestling them among the pineapple and onions, and baste with the bubbling glaze for two minutes until heated through.
Notes
Do not eat the whole cloves.
Whole cloves provide a warm, almost cinnamon-like background note that elevates the canned juice into a complex sauce, but be sure to warn your diners to watch out for them on the plate.
Look for the chops in the deli section.
Smoked pork chops aren't raw; they are fully cooked and salt-cured, usually found near the ham or bacon in standard American supermarkets.
From Cook Cuban in America.