PORK CHOPS WITH TAMARIND AND GINGER

Pork Chops With Tamarind and Ginger image

Seasoning pork chops with a paste of fresh ginger, chile, cumin and tamarind gives the brawny meat a deeply spicy, sour flavor that gets more intense the longer it marinates. Then the excess marinade is mixed into the drippings to make a heady sauce. If you can't find tamarind concentrate (also sometimes called tamarind extract), lime juice will supply the sour notes, though without the same fruity complexity.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories dinner, meat, steaks and chops, main course

Time 1h20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (or extract), or use lime juice
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other chile paste
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 bone-in pork chops, 1 1/2 inches thick (2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, grapeseed oil or safflower oil
Scallions, thinly sliced
Lime wedges, for serving

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine garlic, tamarind, sambal oelek, ginger, salt, cumin, fish sauce and turmeric. Rub mixture evenly over pork, and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape the marinade off the pork, reserving it (there will be a tablespoon or two), then place chops in pan and sear on one side until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to hold pork chops vertically to sear the fat on the edges, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip pork so browned side is on top and add reserved marinade to pan, stirring it into the drippings. Transfer pan to oven and cook to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for lightly pink on the inside (135 degrees). Transfer chops to a plate or cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the meat off the bone and serve slices coated with pan drippings, scallions and lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 287, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 2 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 27 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 444 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams