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 and plenty of juiciness.
Chuleta Frita Marinade
The first step in making my 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/seasoning – homemade sofrito.
Second, the marinade also includes white vinegar as a tenderizing ingredient. Pork chops can be easily overcooked and result in a dry, tough texture. So, including white vinegar helps in relaxing some of the meat fibers in the pork.
Ingredients
To season the marinade I use a variety of herbs and spices. Here’s a breakdown:
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Adobo (All Purpose Seasoning)
- Homemade Sazon
If you feel like this is a lot of seasonings for one marinade, don’t panic. This recipe is carefully crafted with the right measurements, so you won’t have an overpowering marinade.
Selecting the Right Pork Chop
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, think of this culinary rule of thumb: Always buy bone-in meat.
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!
Nata Tip: Cooking meat on the bone boosts the flavor and texture of the pork through the pork’s bone marrow! The bone also acts as a heat conductor, allowing the meat to cook more evenly and prevents it from drying out and shrinking.
Tips & Tricks
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:
- Marinate the pork for 1 to 3 hours, no more than 10 hours. This is because the marinade contains white vinegar. Keep in mind you only want the tenderizing effect of the vinegar not the flavor.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees (F). In this recipe, I recommending pan frying the chuletas in olive oil, on medium high heat, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Rest your chuletas for about 10 minutes (off heat) to ensure a juicy center.
Puerto Rican Side Dishes
Chuletas Fritas pair nicely with many Puerto Rican side dishes, but my personal favorites are:
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!
Giuseppe F. says
The marinade is so good. You used nice seasonings that made the chuletas very delicious.
Marlene H. says
Loved it! Followed your recipe step by step and my chuletas came out so juicy. Family finished dinner with no leftovers🙌