Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops

Inspired by a recipe by Rick Bayless for pork tacos (get it here!) I created a meal of pork chops with grilled red onion and pineapple and a side of my grandma's rice.

The marinade is full of chipotle, paprika, and lots of other flavorful ingredients. I bought pork chops and grilled them, but pork loin would be scrumptious too.  The recipe calls for achiote paste.  I only had seeds, so I made it myself.  It wore me out.  Get the paste if you can.  I'm still scouring supermercados for it.

I marinated the pork chops in the fridge for an hour, but you can marinate overnight for a cured flavor.

I spread out the chops, thick slices of red onion and pineapple on the grill. They cooked for a few minutes on each side and they were done.  Easy.  I chopped the onion and pineapple on the cutting board before serving, placing the pineapple right on top of the pork

Here is Grandma Ethel's recipe for rice.  My little 4'11" grandma grew up in Guaymas Mexico, but we've always called it Spanish rice.  Go figure.

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 cups rice

4 cups water

1 tbs caldo de pollo

1 tbs salsa

Heat a pot with two tbs of vegetable oil.  Add the rice.  Stir until toasted.  The rice will starts to turn opaque and a little light brown on the edges.  Add 4 cups water with the the caldo de pollo.  Stir.  Add the salsa.  Cook the water down until the water nearly meets the rice.  Stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick.

Cover, turn down the heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 min, take a wooden spoon and turn the rice.  If it's not fluffy, recover with the lid and cook for a few more minutes.

Let me show you why you need Caldo de Pollo and why regular chicken bouillon doesn't give you the same result.  (Because I ran out of it and was forced to use bouillon and it just wasn't the same!)

Check out the rich, reddish brown color to your left.  The flavors are that much richer too.  The yellow bouillon to the right just doesn't cut it.

But I'm never one to turn down a home cooked meal!  A handful of cilantro made up for my sins.  Enjoy!