There’s a chapter headed “Tender Meats” in Leslie Revsin’s new cookbook, “The Simpler The Better: Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps” ($24.95). Among the offerings therein is a recipe for Cuban pork chops.
So: That settles the “what’s for dinner?” question for anyone with a taste for tender pork and vibrant seasoning. Oh, and for anyone who’s too hungry to fiddle with more than half-an-hour’s prep at the end of a long day.
Revsin is a chef, food writer and consultant, television food-show host and author of several other cookbooks. She says her goal in this book is to help home cooks by offering pared-down cooking, really good food and no gimmicks, and she includes some 100 recipes with few steps that can be ready in under 30 minutes.
“In Cuba, lots of garlic, freshly squeezed lime juice and aromatic cumin are a favorite way to season roast pork,” she says. “I think the combo is good with chops, too.” In this recipe, the meaty chops cook on top of the stove while their lime and garlic pan juices reduce to a syrupy sauce around them.
Cuban pork chops
4large garlic cloves
4center-cut pork chops, 8 ounces each, cut 1 inch thick
1 1/2tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3/4teaspoon ground cumin
Thinly slice garlic. Dry pork chops with paper towels. Season with salt.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stand and brown fat edge of chops, about 2 minutes. Brown first side, about 2 minutes. Turn over, and brown 1 minute more. Scatter garlic around chops and cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add lime juice and 1/4 cup water.
Cook, uncovered, turning chops once or twice, until done and 1/4 cup syrupy juices remain, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chops to plates and spoon sauce on top. Sprinkle with cumin and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.
Makes four servings.
Simple tip: If the pan juices reduce too much before the chops are done, add a little more water. If you add too much, just boil down the juices after the chops are out of the pan.
From “The Simpler The Better: Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps” by Leslie Revsin
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