Lisette's Cooking Adventures: Mum's Spicy Pork Chops

In my experience, Goans pair pork with very hot spice mixes unlike the West where you see something sweet often paired with a pork presentation. This recipe is one that my mother used to make when I was growing up, and thankfully she wrote it down for me when I first got married. This soon became a barbeque favorite, and in colder weather it can easily be baked or grilled.

It is simple to prepare but explodes with flavor. Most incredibly I re-live moments at home whenever I prepare these pork chops. Here's to you mum!

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Ingredients

For this recipe I used 6 large pork chops (bone in) and with fat. Approx 1.5 kg. Have a glass dish ready - big enough to hold the chops for marinading.

Spices for marinade

1 heaped teaspoon chilly powder (use less if the chilly powder is very hot)
2 heaped teaspoons paprika
1 heaped teaspoon salt
1 heaped teaspoon garlic powder
1 level teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 level teaspoon turmeric
Red wine vinegar (or Goa vinegar)

Method

Measure out all your spices into a glass bowl. Add enough vinegar to make a smooth paste, not runny. Put one chop in the glass dish. Apply the mixture onto both sides of the pork chop. Continue till you have covered all the chops. I like to pierce the pork chops with a sharp pointed knife to make sure the marinade penetrates the chops.Cover the dish and leave it in the fridge for at least 3 hours before using. The longer the better. Overnight is best.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 F. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil (I had a large disposable foil container handy, so I used it) Spray the base of the container with a cooking spray. Add the chops in a single layer. Use more than one baking tray if needed to ensure that chops are not layered.
Bake for approx 30 minutes until browned and cooked through.