Pork Chops Adobado
The theme today is short and sweet. Forgive me; it’s a Friday and I don’t feel loquacious, just week-weary.
I don’t typically find grilled pork chops exciting. Which, upon reflection, seems a bit weird. I mean, I love pork. I love other grilled foods, like a good steak. I think the problem with pork chops lies somewhere between the fact that they’re often overcooked, and the fact that they’re also often under-seasoned. Also… I may have been eating the wrong chops. After we ordered a half of a pig from a local farm, we’ve been spoiled and it’s easy for me to see why I wasn’t enthused by the chops we were buying at the store. But ALSO… I wasn’t using this marinade. All of this is basically to say that this recipe basically made a pork chop lover out of me. I’ve made this many, many times now. and it’s always a winner.
The flavor is smoky, garlicky, and wonderful. You might think it would be overpowering, but somehow, it’s not. I make the pork taste more… porky? Is that a thing? Well, anyway, if it isn’t, it should be. More good news- these are just as yummy cooked inside, under the broiler or in a grill pan, as they are outside on a grill. So they make a great weeknight meal, too. Or really, the perfect meal for a summer Friday evening, something to celebrate the weekend, for those of you who are as week-weary as I am.
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch piece
- 1/4 cup ice water
- Filling:
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons (use vanilla sugar for sprinkling, if you have it)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1/4" pieces
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered, if large)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (or the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean)
Instructions
- To make the crust, combine flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub between your thumbs and the tips of your fingers to cut the butter into the dough. Once the biggest lumps are about the size of peas, stir in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, fruit, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until all the fruit is evenly coated.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Remove the dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a roughly 13" circle. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, and pile the fruit mixture in the middle of the circle, leaving about 1 1/2" border of dough. Fold the edges up over the fruit.
- Brush the pastry with a bit of cold water, then sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over both the crust and the fruit.
- Bake the tart until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is golden, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.