Packed with amazing flavors, juicy and tender pork chops is what you will get when you make this Chuleta Frita recipe.
Chuleta frita
Chuleta Frita is one of the most popular ways to cook pork chops in Puerto Rico. These babies are seasoned to perfection and fried until tender but with little crunchy bits all around. One of the most popular ways to eat chuleta frita is with any type of rice, especially with white rice, a nice side of beans and a couple of crunchy tostones.
Fried pork chops are not only made in Puerto Rico but this recipe is how it’s made in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean countries with slight differences.
What is the best way to season pork chops?
The best way to season pork hands down is by adding a little acidity. You do this by adding vinegar just like in this recipe, or you can also add lime, lemons or even oranges. All of those not only give the pork chops a lot of flavor but thanks to their acidity they act as a meat tenderizer.
Another must have when seasoning pork chops is thyme. Since this recipe is fried, we use ground thyme instead of fresh. Some people like to season chuletas fritas with sofrito but I like to keep it simple. I use fresh garlic, ground thyme, sazón, adobo, salt and vinegar.
What is the best cut to make chuletas fritas?
One of the best cuts to make chuletas fritas is the center pork chop. But to be honest, to me the best cut is the one with a good amount of fat. You may not be a fan of the fat but hear me out.
The reason that I like to have a nice cut with a lot of fat is that I think that a good marbled cut will aid with the juiciness of the meat. Plus fatty cuts are usually more tender. Also, remember to always choose a bone in pork chop.
What is the secret to always getting tender pork chops?
The secret to getting tender pork chops is a combination of 3 things. One is to add acidity when seasoning, two is to try to get a cut with good fat content and the third is to keep your heat down. When you keep the temperature low you ensure you cook the meat without burning the outside.
What to serve with chuleta frita?
Fried pork chops go very well with a green salad and you can call this a keto friendly recipe. A great way to serve chuletas is next to yellow rice and beans on one side and on the other a nice portion of potato salad.
You can also serve it with a mofongo and make some mayoketchup to pour on top of both. It is really delicious, trust me. Last, if you are the type that likes to mix savory and sweet flavors then the best side for chuletas will be amarillos.
Can I make Ahead?
You can make it ahead to a certain point. You can season and store to save time on the seasoning part. But if you want to cook it to freeze it and make it later I don’t recommend it. What you can do is instead of frying the pork chop for 6 minutes as suggested in the recipe you can fry it for 4 minutes on each side. But you have to make sure the internal temperature is 145°F. Store in your fridge for no more than 3 days.
When ready to make, take the pork chops out of your fridge to get them to room temperature. For about 10-15 minutes. Then you just have to fry them for 2 minutes on each side or until you get them as crunchy as you like. But I must warn you that this method can result in pork chops being a little dryer.
How to make Chuleta Frita?
1. The first step is to season your chuletas. Let them marinate for 30 minutes.
2. The last step is to fry the pork chops for 6 minutes on each side.
Ingredients
1. Pork chops- In this recipe, the cut of the pork chop used was the center cut.
2. Garlic paste- For the garlic paste I used fresh garlic but you can use premade also.
3. White vinegar- In this recipe, vinegar is used to help tenderize the meat. You can substitute for lime juice.
4. Ground thyme- I used ground thyme. You can also use ground oregano instead.
5. Seasonings- This recipe has adobo, sazón and salt.
6. Oil- This recipe calls for 1 cup of oil for frying. You can use less just make sure that about half of the pork chop is in the oil.
Other great mains to make:
Chuleta Frita (fried Pork Chop)
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste about 4 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sazón
- 2 teaspoons adobo
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl add your pork chops. Add vinegar, ground thyme, garlic paste, sazón, adobo and salt. Mix everything well until all the porkchops all complety seasoned.
- Cover and let the pork chops marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Add your oil to a large pan over medium heat. Now add your pork chops. If your pan is big enough, fry 2 pork chops at a time. Do not overcrowd your pan. Fry for 6 minutes on each side. Remove the pork chops from the oil. Serve and enjoy.
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