Puerto Rican FoodPork Chops in Warm Pineapple and Sweet Pepper Escabeche with Mashed Taro Root and Toasted Corn
An original Puerto Rican main dish featuring seared pork chops topped with a warm escabeche of fresh pineapple, red onion, vinegar, and sweet peppers, served over silky mashed taro root and finished with toasted corn for crunch. It carries classic island flavors from sofrito, oregano, and recao, balancing acidity, sweetness, and savory depth.
Ingredients
- 680 g boneless pork chops (of 4 pieces, of grosor medio)
- 8 g salt (divided)
- 2 g black pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 g dried oregano
- 12 g garlic (machacado or chopped)
- 45 ml Puerto Rican sofrito
- 80 ml apple cider vinegar
- 200 g fresh pineapple (en cubitos small)
- 120 g red onion (en plumas finas)
- 60 g sweet peppers (without semillas, en ruedas)
- 45 ml olive oil (divided)
- 15 ml honey
- 2 unit bay leaves
- 900 g taro root (pelada and en trozos)
- 30 g butter
- 120 ml milk (tibia)
- 8 g culantro leaves (chopped fino)
- 100 g corn kernels (puede ser fresh or descongelado)
- 1 g sweet paprika
- 1000 ml water (approx., for hervir the yautía)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Season the pork chops with 4 g (3/4 tsp) salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and half of the garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the sofrito and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar; mix well and let stand for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest.
- 2
2. Place the taro root in a pot with the water and 2 g (1/4 tsp) salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a knife.
- 3
3. While the taro cooks, make the warm escabeche. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion, sweet peppers, the remaining garlic, and the bay leaves. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- 4
4. Stir in the fresh pineapple, the remaining sofrito, the rest of the apple cider vinegar, the honey, and 2 g (1/4 tsp) salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion softens slightly but still keeps some texture and the pineapple releases its juices. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
- 5
5. In a separate small skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels, sweet paprika, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring, until some kernels are lightly charred. Set aside.
- 6
6. Drain the taro and return it to the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate excess moisture. Add the butter, warm milk, and culantro, then mash until smooth but still slightly rustic. Adjust with the remaining salt if needed. Keep warm over very low heat.
- 7
7. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- 8
8. Transfer the skillet with the pork chops to the oven and finish cooking for 6 to 10 minutes at 400°F (205°C), depending on thickness, until cooked through but still juicy. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- 9
9. To serve, spoon a portion of mashed taro onto each plate. Place a pork chop on top, spoon over the warm pineapple and sweet pepper escabeche, and finish with the toasted corn.
- 10
10. Serve immediately, making sure each portion includes mashed taro, pork chop, escabeche, and toasted corn.
Chef tips
If you want a deeper-flavored escabeche, make it 30 minutes ahead and gently rewarm it before serving. The taro should be very tender so the mash turns silky rather than gummy.
Substitutions
You can substitute the taro root with malanga if it is easier to find. Honey may be replaced with brown sugar. If you do not have culantro, use a smaller amount of fresh cilantro for a different but pleasant flavor.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
Illustrative imageT-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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