I’ve been on a spicy kick lately. Homemade hot sauce, pickled jalapeños from last year’s garden, kimchi. If it’s spicy, I’ve been adding it to my food lately. So it’s no surprise that this Chili Rubbed Chops recipe caught my attention. It’s the perfect blend of spiciness but not so much as to overpower the chops’ inherent flavor.
The original recipe is for thin-cut pork chops. But if you’re like us and prefer thick-cut, you can just add a little extra cooking time, and it’ll work perfectly.
Click here for a PDF version of this recipe.
Chili Rubbed Chops
1 large onions
2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cloves garlic, smashed
4 thin-cut bone-in pork chops, trimmed
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Spanish rice, for serving (optional)
1. Roughly chop 1/4 onion and place in a blender with the chili powder, salt, the oregano, cumin, cloves and garlic. Puree, adding water to make a thick paste.
2. Slice the remaining onions into thin rings and place in a bowl with the chili puree and pork; toss to coat.
3. Lightly brush a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan with vegetable oil and place over high heat until almost smoking. Place 2 pork chops in the skillet and surround with half of the onions. Cook until the pork starts to blacken on the outside and is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining pork chops and onions. Serve with rice, if desired.