Mexican adobado is a spicy marinade used on meats and poultry before grilling. These thin pork chops cook in a minute over a hot grill, so tend them carefully. The fresh salsa of onion, cilantro and lime provides a crunchy and refreshing counterpoint to the spicy pork. Serve with rice, beans and fresh fruit salad.

Chuletas Adobado con Salsa Fresca de Cebolla y Cilantro

8 thin (1/4-inch-thick) pork chops

Chili-Vinegar Marinade:
4 dried Anaheim chiles
4 dried arbol chiles
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 fresh jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Onion-cilantro relish:
1 1/2 cups minced white onion
1 tablespoons minced serrano chile
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. To make marinade, remove stems from all dried chiles, shake out and discard seeds. Place chiles in small saucepan with water just to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes to soften. Drain. In small skillet toast the cumin seed over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place chiles, cumin seed, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, oil and salt in blender container. Puree until thick and smooth.
2. Place pork chops in shallow pan and pour marinade over. Let marinate in refrigerator for one hour or overnight. Prepare a hot fire in grill or heat broiler.
3. Before grilling chops, make the relish. In a small bowl stir together the onion, serrano, cilantro, salt, lime juice and olive oil. Set aside until ready to serve.
4. Grill chops directly over heat, or broil, until they are nicely browned on both sides, about one minute per side. To serve, arrange chops on serving platter, garnish with some of the relish and serve remaining relish on the side.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 483 calories; Protein: 24 grams; Fat: 37 grams; Sodium: 1062 milligrams; Cholesterol: 55 milligrams; Saturated Fat: 7 grams; Carbohydrates: 12 grams; Fiber: 2 grams

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Pork: The Other White Meat.