Cooking with Ruth

PORK CHOPS AND RICE:

• You don’t want to use quick cooking rice for this recipe – it would turn out too gummy. You can substitute the white rice for brown if you prefer.
• Make sure both sides of the pork chops are seasoned well with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
• It’s also important you get a good browning on these pork chops. Don’t cook the pork chops all the way through. Get the skillet really hot and quickly brown each side. This adds a lot of flavor and color to the final dish!
• I like to serve this with yellow rice.

LIST OF INGREDIENTs:

• Medium grain rice (you could also use Jazmin long grain rice)
• Can of yellow corn
• Pork fat or cubed ham steak
• Sofrito
• Tomato paste
• Pimiento stuffed olives
• Chicken bouillon
• Bay leaf, oregano, sazón, salt and oil
• Water or chicken broth
• Red pimientos and fresh cilantro for topping (optional)

• Rinse two cups of white rice several times until water runs clear.
• This removes the talc coating (peril) that preserves the rice.
• In a caldero or dutch oven pot over medium heat, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute cubed pork fat until golden brown.
• Add 3 tablespoons of  sofrito and stir together with pork fat and oil.  Cook for two to four minutes.
• Add sazón packet, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, oregano and bay leaf to pot.  Stir.

   

  Note:  Key to making any rice is to use a “caldero” or a cooking cauldron.  A caldero is made of cast iron and allows the rice to cook uniform and also creates a crispy bottom layer to caldero known as “pegao.”  Do not use a non stick saucepan to make rice as it will not cook the same at all.  If you do not have a caldero, use a dutch oven instead.

• 1. Add three cups of water or chicken broth and salt to taste.
  2. Add can of corn (with liquid from can) and olives.  Stir.
  3. Cook until liquid starts to bubble.
  4. Add rice to pot.

  You will know you have the perfect amount of water or broth when you can lay and sit a large spoon on top of rice and spoon is covered with just enough liquid but you can still see it.  (You can still see spoon through water)

  Note:  If spoon sinks completely and you cannot see spoon, you have added too much water, remove some if necessary otherwise your rice will come out clumpy and sticky.

• 1. Cook rice uncovered over medium heat until water evaporates.  Then and only then, turn rice with the large spoon and lower eat.  Cover pot immediately!!!
  2. Cook for 15 minutes.

  NOTE:  This is VERY IMPORTANT, DO NOT UNCOVER RICE for 15 minutes or the rice will stun and not cook properly.  It will stay hard!!!  DO NOT UNCOVER!!!

  1. After 15 minutes of cooking the rice, uncover and stir rice again.
  2. Cook for another 15 minutes on the lower heat.  Again DO NOT UNCOVERfor the next 15 minutes!
  3. After the 15 minutes, take off lid and stir again.  Rice is done now.

THE BEST BAKED PORK CHOPS

Make these perfect Baked Pork Chops in the oven.  Guaranteed to cook perfectly tender and juicy with just a few simple techniques.  No more dry oven baked pork chops!

These juicy tender Baked Pork Chops are excellent!  Savory, succulent, just perfectly tender and juicy!  Follow the steps in this simple recipe and I guarantee you will also agree!

Unfortunately oven baked pork chops always seem to get a bad rap because they can easily dry up in the oven.

A lot of cooks believe that in order to avoid dry oven pork chops, you have to buy thick chops and cook them for 20 minutes and they will come out perfect.

But I’ve got a trick to keep oven baked pork chops tender and it works every time!

SEASONING FOR JUICY PORK CHOPS

When it comes to oven baked chops, I like the seasoning to be simple, I like to keep true to the flavor of the pork chop. I simply add salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika or Goya seasoning. You however can season your chops whichever way you like.

HOW TO BAKE PORK CHOPS

Tip #1 (Here’s the Main Trick!)

First clean the pork chops with white vinegar and rinse. Let them sit in a brine of salt and water for 30 minutes.  If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, at least make sure to marinate them in the brine for 15 minutes.  This step is important because it tenderizes the pork.

Rinse again with cold water and then season.  Let them sit for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the meantime heat an oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  (I use a cast iron) Add one to two tablespoons of oil. Add the pork chops and sear on each side for a few minutes to give them color.

Look how perfect they look already.

Finish cooking the pork chops in the oven.

Pork chops are done cooking.  They are perfectly juicy and tender now.

** Let the pork chops sit for a few minutes before serving to hold in the juices the same way you would with a steak.

Note:  If pork chops are half an inch thick, cook for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.  (62 degrees Celsius).

If they are an inch, cook for 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (62 degrees Celsius)