Name: Grilled Giant Pork Chops with Adobo Paste
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons paprika (not hot); 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried hot red-pepper flakes; 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) bone-in loin pork chops (about 3/4 pound each); a 17- by 12- by 3-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal); an instant-read thermometer

Photo by Romulo Yanes

The flavors of Mexico enliven this very adaptable spice paste, which is excellent on grilled beef and chicken as well as pork. If you want to make the flavor even more complex, substitute crushed chile de árbol, dried pasilla, or New Mexico chiles for the red-pepper flakes.

Cooks' notes:

•Pork can be grilled on a gas grill. Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately high and brown chops, covered, turning over occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off 1 burner (middle one if there are 3) and put chops above shut-off burner, then grill, covered, without turning, until thermometer registers 145°F, 12 to 15 minutes.
•Pork chops, rubbed with spice paste, can marinate, covered and chilled, up to 4 hours before grilling.
•Spice paste keeps, covered and chilled, up to 1 week.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

The Mexican Pantry Ingredient Your Kitchen Needs
Who knew a little can could pack so much flavor?

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.

Recipe notes

The Mexican Pantry Ingredient Your Kitchen Needs