Since there will be an onslaught of Italian Seafood dishes over the next day or so, keeping with tradition for
Christmas Eve, I was puzzled with what to cook for dinner last night.  Something different I thought, so I looked
in the refrigerator and there were sirloin cut pork chops, and chicken breast.  Hmmmm...maybe, Chicken
Rolletini, stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella, but...that's a little more work and food than I wanted to deal
with after a day of work and Christmas shopping (NIGHTMARE).  The chops were sliced thin, so Chuletas came
to mind.  They are a Spanish styled preparation, very popular in Puerto Rico, where the chops are sliced thin, then
highly seasoned, pan fried, and finished off with vinegar and bay leaf. Really really tasty. And, they do not take
long to cook when using the thin cut pork chops.  Boneless or bone in, your choice,  preferred choice is bone in.
The meat doesn't dry out, and you will have your kitchen smelling like a tasty bodega in no time.  I paired it up in
the pan with a Pinto bean and onion sauce, almost like a stew.  Feverishly, I poked through my pantry and found
some smoked paprika, cumin, vinegar, hot sauce, pickled jalapeno slices..and there was dinner.
     Pat the chops (1 per person, or 2 if you have hungry eaters) dry with a paper towel.  BIG step which helps in
the browning of meats in a pan.  Sprinkle granulated garlic, Goya Sazon con Azafran(the one with no MSG added),
black pepper, some kosher salt, over both sides of the chops.  Heat some olive oil in a wide skillet.  Pan fry for 6
minutes on one side, check for browning, you want a nice crust on them.  Flip and pan fry them on the other side
for additional 5 minutes.  Add 3 tbs. of sherry vinegar and deglaze the pan..let this cook for 3-5 minutes.
 Remove the chops to a platter.  You may need more olive oil now.  Not too much.  Dice 1
onion, and saute' it for 8 mintues, or till translucent.  Mince 2 cloves of garlic, add , and saute'.  Add 1/4 cup of the
sliced jalapenos, and saute for a few minutes.  Add 1 can of undrained Pinto Beans, and 1 can of drained Pinto
beans, 1 tsp. hot sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano. Let
this simmer for 5 minutes, then place the chops into the pan. Spinkle 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika over this.
  Allow this to simmer for 15-20 minutes, Now add 1/2 tsp. of ground coriander.
 The wonderful Daisy Martinez, of Daisy Cooks and Viva Daisy ( http://www.daisymartinez.com/home.shtm  suggests
to serve this with some fluffy white rice to complete the dish.  She is one of my favorite "cheflebrities" and has
really brought the Puerto Rican kitchen in many more homes.  A nice green salad with red onions and a simple
oil and vinegar dressing finishes the whole thing. 



The tang of the vinegar, the smoke of the paprika, the heat of the hot pepper, the floral herbal
notes of the bay and oregano, and the earthy musk of the pork and cumin....winning combo,
the beans just bring it all together.