OK, I don't know for sure if Costa Ricans eat pork chops this way, much less at all, but let's just say that these are at least inspired by Central American cuisine. I spent a summer in Costa Rica during college and we ate very simply (beans and rice, 2x a day) and never saw a bit of pork except for the piggies that ate the whey behind the Monteverde lecheria ("cheese makers").
Hints here that it could be from CR - cilantro!, lime juice, and lots of black beans and rice on the side. Could that be from almost any Central American country... well, yeah. But I really like CR, "pura vida" is the national slogan. C'mon!
Caveats:
- I only got to marinate this for 1 hour in the fridge, 2 hours would be best.
- Grilling the chops really makes them shine, but broiling works too.
- Side dishes of "black beans and rice" and a nice salad round it out.
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops (ours were our own pastured, 1 inch thick lovelies)
- 1/3 cup of good olive oil
- 1/3 cup of lime juice
- 1/4 cup of minced cilantro
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (not traditional, but our cayenne is too hot for the girls)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Steps
- Combine the oil, juice, cilantro, garlic, pepper, and salt in a tupperware container.
- Whisk the marinade together well.
- Add in the chops and place in the fridge. Set the timer for 2 hrs.
- Fire up the grill and grill the chops for 3-5 minutes per side. Sadly throw away the delicious smelling marinade - can't eat it nor grill with it.
- Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
