In this video, learn how to recreate the zesty flavors of Chef John's step-by-step tutorial for Pork Chops Al Pastor. Discover the secrets behind the perfect al pastor marinade, combining savory spices with sweet pineapple for a burst of Mexican-inspired taste. From marinating the pork chops to baking them to perfection, this video guides you through every step to create juicy, flavorful pork chops that are sure to impress. Dive into classic Mexican cuisine with this easy and delicious recipe!
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00:00 Hello, this is Chef John from FoodWishes.com with Pork Chops Al Pastor.
00:08 That's right, the name means shepherd style pork chops.
00:12 Which no, does not make a lot of sense, since shepherds generally don't tend to flocks of
00:16 pigs.
00:17 But anyway, the name and recipe are inspired by my favorite taco, and these really were
00:22 some of the best pork chops I've had in a long time.
00:25 And to get started, we're going to take four double cut pork chops.
00:29 And yes, these have the bone in.
00:30 And we're going to transfer those into a zip top bag, which as you can see, I've set over
00:35 a bowl, since what we're going to be doing is pouring our marinade into this.
00:39 And if the bag is not in a bowl, there's a 100% chance it leaks.
00:43 So we will play it safe.
00:45 And once those obscenely big pork chops have been transferred in, we can go ahead and start
00:48 our marinade.
00:50 And that's going to begin with one can of pineapple chunks with the juice.
00:54 And yes, you can use fresh pineapple, but you'd have to cook it first, since there's
00:58 an enzyme in it that will make the meat mushy.
01:00 And nobody wants mushy meat.
01:03 And then to that, we will add three tablespoons of any kind of ground chili.
01:06 All right, I'm doing two tablespoons of Guajillo and one tablespoon of New Mexico, since if
01:12 possible, I do like using the pure chili.
01:14 But just your favorite chili powder will work.
01:17 And I will also add some ground chipotle for a little bit of smoky heat.
01:22 And I will also toss in some ground cinnamon, which is a key ingredient and a reminder that
01:26 this recipe originates from the Middle East.
01:29 Okay, apparently Lebanese immigrants to Mexico brought these flavors and cooking techniques
01:33 to the region.
01:35 And then we're definitely going to need a generous amount of salt.
01:38 And I'm doing one teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat.
01:41 And then we'll finish up with a little bit of white vinegar, plus a few garlic cloves.
01:45 And then last but not least, some sliced up green onions, or really any kind of onion
01:50 would work.
01:52 And that's it.
01:53 We'll blend that up nice and smooth.
01:54 And then we'll pour that into our bag of chops.
01:57 And usually for my al pastor, I add some cumin and some Mexican oregano.
02:01 But this time I did not put those in the marinade, since I'm actually going to include those in
02:06 a different component, which you're going to see very soon.
02:09 But anyway, once we pour that in and drip a little bit on the counter, we will close
02:14 the bag and give this a thorough and thoughtful massage.
02:18 And we will keep massaging until that meat is thoroughly and evenly coated, at which
02:22 point I like to open the bag and squeeze out some of the excess air.
02:26 And then what we'll do is seal that up and marinate this in the fridge for anywhere between
02:31 24 and 48 hours.
02:33 Oh yeah, if you want this today, you got to start this a couple days ago.
02:37 Having said that, overnight is fine.
02:39 And even if you only did this for a few hours, it's still going to taste pretty good.
02:43 But for me, the longer the better.
02:45 But no matter how long, once it's marinated, we will sear that on medium high heat in a
02:50 little bit of olive oil.
02:52 Just for a few minutes per side.
02:53 Oh, and this is very important.
02:56 Do not, under any circumstances, throw away the excess marinade.
02:59 I'm going to show you what to do with that very soon.
03:03 And I should mention this recipe and method will work no matter what kind of pork chop
03:06 you're using or what size they are.
03:09 But I think the technique is particularly great for these double cut chops, which really
03:13 were huge.
03:14 Right, these were like 14 ounces each, which if you don't know what you're doing, can come
03:20 out very dry, since modern pork is very lean.
03:24 But as you'll hopefully find out, this method produces a very juicy and tender final product.
03:29 But anyway, once our chops have seared for a few minutes per side, and they've taken
03:33 on a little bit of color, we'll remove those to a plate.
03:37 At which point we'll add some sliced onions to the pan, along with a nice big pinch of
03:41 salt, some ground cumin, and a nice big pinch of dry Mexican oregano, or regular oregano.
03:49 But the Mexican is more fragrant, and I think more flavorful.
03:54 And what we'll do is cook that, stirring for just about a minute.
03:57 And at this point, if the pan seems a little dry, and this one certainly did, I like to
04:01 drizzle in a little more olive oil, which you might not have to do, depending on how
04:06 much fat rendered out of the pork as you were searing it.
04:09 But anyway, I did add a little bit and cooked that for just about a minute, at which point
04:14 we'll turn off the heat, and we'll toss in a little splash of water, or chicken broth,
04:19 which is going to deglaze the bottom.
04:21 And once we've given that a little bit of a stir, and a scraping, we will place our
04:25 chops back on top.
04:28 And as I was doing this, the smell was just incredible, which by the way is the whole
04:31 idea.
04:32 Alright, as our pork chops finish cooking in the oven, they're going to be beautifully
04:36 scented with our cumin and oregano.
04:39 And of course, do not forget the accumulated juices.
04:42 Alright, there wasn't much, but there was more than none, so we'll go ahead and apply
04:46 that to the top.
04:48 And that's it, these are now ready to transfer into the center of a 325 degree oven, for
04:54 about 20 to 30 minutes, or until they're cooked to your liking.
04:58 And while that's happening, we can make not one, but two sauces to go on top.
05:03 And the first one is any and all excess marinade that we transfer into a saucepan, plus a splash
05:08 of water or broth.
05:10 And what we'll do is bring that up to a simmer on medium high, and we'll give it a whisk
05:14 and let it cook for about a minute.
05:16 And believe it or not, that's it.
05:19 I mean of course we're going to taste it, and maybe adjust the seasonings.
05:23 But thanks to the pineapple and seasoning we already added, we should have a beautiful
05:26 sweet and spicy sauce, which basically required almost no effort.
05:31 And that's it, once we're happy with that, we'll simply keep it warm, and then we can
05:35 move on to a second optional sauce, or salsa to be exact.
05:39 And what I think we should do is take some finely diced onions, that we've rinsed in
05:43 cold water, and we'll combine those with about an equal amount of chopped pineapple.
05:48 And then we'll finish this very simply, with some freshly sliced oregano, plus a nice big
05:53 pinch of salt.
05:54 And then we'll finish up with some freshly squeezed lime, and then we'll take a spoon
05:58 and give that a mix.
06:00 And I think that's going to make for a beautiful sweet and sharp and tangy contrast, to our
06:04 rich aromatic pork.
06:06 So yes, technically optional, but trust me, you're going to want this on top.
06:10 And that's it, once our pork is done, we can pull it out.
06:13 And it's hopefully going to look something like this.
06:16 And by the way, while that roasts, every once in a while I like to baste it, which you can
06:20 do with a brush like this, or simply with a spoon.
06:24 And in case you're keeping score at home, I cook pork chops like this to an internal
06:28 temp of 140, which is pretty much going to guarantee a juicy, tender texture.
06:33 But having said that, if you want to cook yours well done, because your grandfather
06:37 knew a guy who had a friend who got trichinosis, feel free.
06:42 But not me.
06:43 Right, I think between 140 and 145 is perfect.
06:46 And that's it, I'm going to finish up with a little bit of sauce over the top.
06:50 And if I was a good food stylist, I would just put over a little drizzle, so you can
06:54 see the meat, and the pictures might look better.
06:56 But when it comes to sauce, especially one this delicious, I cannot be trusted, and I
07:01 pretty much covered them up.
07:03 And then to upset the food stylist even more, I'm going to top each one with some of our
07:07 pineapple salsa.
07:09 And as far as color combos go, orangey browns with yellow is not a great combination.
07:15 Although some people might like it.
07:17 Okay, maybe the people that think the San Diego Padres have nice uniforms.
07:21 But anyway, I compensated with some cayenne, and finished off with some sprigs of fresh
07:26 oregano.
07:28 And that's it, my pork chops al pastor.
07:30 We're ready to enjoy.
07:32 So I went ahead and served one up.
07:35 And also put some of those cumin oregano scented onions on the plate.
07:39 And believe me, any of those color theory concerns we had, will be completely forgotten
07:43 after the first bite.
07:45 Since that my friends, truly is an incredible way to flavor and cook pork.
07:49 Very tender, juicy, and fragrant.
07:52 And extraordinarily delicious as is, just dipped in that simple sauce.
07:57 But as predicted, the contrast with that cold, bracing, sweet and tangy pineapple salsa,
08:03 really does elevate everything beautifully.
08:06 And I do realize no matter how hard I try, some of you are just not going to be able
08:10 to cook the pork not well done.
08:13 Which of course is your prerogative.
08:14 I mean, you guys are after all the moms and pops of eating dry tough chops.
08:20 But as long as you understand that cooking to an internal temp of about 140 to 145, not
08:25 only gives you a significantly better texture, it is completely, absolutely, and totally
08:30 safe.
08:31 At least in my opinion.
08:34 Which of course is not legally binding.
08:36 You have to decide for yourself.
08:38 But anyway, above and beyond the amazing texture, if you enjoy the flavor profile of Tacos Al
08:43 Pastor, I really do think you're going to love this.
08:46 Oh, and if we have any kids watching, don't eat onions off the tip of your knife.
08:52 But anyway, I could not have been happier with how this came out.
08:55 And then for a little extra bonus footage, I'm going to show you a second, much fancier
08:59 way to plate this.
09:01 And that would be to take one of the chops and cut off that loin of meat like an inch
09:06 or so away from the bone.
09:08 And then what we'll do is take that piece of boneless loin and we'll make nice thin
09:12 cuts across like this.
09:14 And then to serve it up, we will sauce a hot plate and we'll place our bone down.
09:19 And then we'll take that meat we cut and fan it across the front, arranging it just so.
09:26 At which point we'll finish with our pineapple salsa, a little more cayenne of course, and
09:31 the obligatory sprig of herb.
09:34 And this would be much more of a restaurant style presentation or something you'd see
09:38 at a nice high-end steak and chop house.
09:40 Okay, there was nothing wrong with just putting the whole chop on the plate, but for a special
09:44 occasion or something a little more formal, I think this is a beautiful way to go.
09:50 Although I just realized I forgot the onions.
09:53 So after I sign off, I'll grab some of those since they really are a nice touch.
09:57 So I'm going to do that.
09:58 And what I hope you do is give these pork chops al pastor a try soon.
10:05 So please follow the links below for the ingredient amounts, a printable written recipe and much
10:09 more info as usual.
10:11 And as always, enjoy!
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