Rose’s Dominican Pork Chops with Arroz con Guandules

Craving Dominican pork chops with guandules — aka pigeon peas — and savory rice (and honestly, aren’t you?), just drop by the home of daughter-mother Rose and Angela Rosario of Angela’s Bakery, of Brooklyn, NY fame. It’s one of their favorite family weekday comidas—and they have honed it over the years to everyday easy perfección.

Their legendary pastelería, opened by Angela in 2003, is the go-to New York-area bakery for birthday party-perfect Dominican cake and other authentic sweets. Rose is president and CEO, and her mom Angela is the founder. Most days, Angela can be found in the cocina whipping up dinner for the whole family. Topping Rose’s list of of the most-requested comidas by her mom are these savory pork chops and—of course—the No. 1 Dominican breakfast dish (though Rose loves to eat it any time of day, she admits): mangú con los tres (actually dos) golpes—mashed plantains with fried eggs and salami.

Today, we’re honored to spotlight Angela and Rose’s family-famous Dominican porkchops. Their chuletas are seasoned with adobo and cooked in avocado oil, Rose’s go-to aceite. Once finished in a glaze of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, the chops are served alongside arroz con guandules—white rice and pigeon peas. The recipe for all three parts of this plato is below.

One funny thing about her mother, says Rose, is that she is a truly great cook who doesn’t love cooking and races to get meals done as fast as she can. “She doesn’t even use sofrito,’ says Rose. ”She just looks in the refrigerator and whatever she sees, she pulls it out and makes it super fast. And it’s crazy how it comes out so good. I’m like, Mami, ’When I try that it doesn’t come out so good, no me sale.’ But for her, yes.”

The same goes for Angela’s baking. She is a gifted baker who doesn’t even have a sweet tooth, says Rose. “My mom started baking as a hobby, because she was at home with us. And she took a class with a friend and started making cakes. It’s not like she loved baking. But, and I’m the same way, whatever we do, we do it right. She always says: ’Se hace bien, o no se hace,’” says Rose.

Duly noted abuela-cooking wisdom: Cook it right, or don’t do it at all.

For the guandules part of this dish, her mother adds peeled and diced auyama pumpkin, as well as soy sauce to the pigeon peas. “We put the water in a 1:1 ratio, with salt and the oil, let it boil—and throw in the rice. When the water se seca, lo tapamos: when the water is absorbed, we cover it with the lid, and it all cooks together,” says Rose.

Rose prefers her guandules and their juice ladled on—not next to—the rice. “I don’t like them on the side. They have to be right on top. Then, the chuleta goes on the side. I like to garnish this dish with avocado and a little salt with avocado or olive oil, and then top it all off with a little garlic powder.”

Hungry? Us too. We’re full-on craving these Dominican pork chops—made with mucho amor and authentic Dominican pride.

For dessert, may we recommend you order a Dominican cake mix (or two—the vanilla and the chocolate mix) via mail directly from Angela’s Bakery and serve their bizcocho at your next family and/or family feast? It’s the perfect and authentic way to end a meal starring these chuletas.

Ready to Make Dominican Pork Chops with Arroz con Guandules?

Rose’s Dominican Pork Chops with Arroz con Guandules

Recipe by Rose Rosario

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Dominican

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• The Arroz

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup rice

• 1 Tbsp salt

• 2 Tbsp avocado oil, or your preferred oil

• The Guandules/Pigeon Peas

• 1 to 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 to 2 tsp oregano dried

• 1/3 cup auyama pumpkin, peeled, cubed

• 15 oz can guandules or pigeons peas

• 1 cup water

• 1 cube chicken bouillion

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• The Pork Chops/Las Chuletas

• 4 pork chops, thin cut and bone-in

• 1 Tbsp adobo

• 1 to 2 tsp oregano dried

• 1/2 pinch black pepper

• 1 to 2 Tbsp avocado oil

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 lime, juice: freshly squeezed

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

• 1 sprinkle garlic powder or salt, optional, just before serving

Directions

• The Arroz
• Saute the chopped onion, garlic, pumpkin, and oregano for 5 minutes in your choice of oil. Rose likes to use avocado oil.
• Add the guandules and let them soak in the flavors. Then add the water, bouillion and soy sauce.
• Bring to a boil, cover with the top or not (your choice, says Rose), and then simmer 10 to 15 minutes “depending on your stove.”
• Taste for seasonings and adjust, if necessary. Cover your rice, while you finish the guandules and pork chops.
  
• The Guandules/Pigeon Peas
  
• Saute the chopped onion, garlic, auyama pumpkin and oregano for 5 minutes in avocado oil, olive oil or your choice of cooking oil.
• Add the guandules, stir and let them soak in the flavors for a few minutes. Then add the water, bouillion and soy sauce.
  
• Bring to a boil, cover or not (your choice, says Rose), and then simmer, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust, if necessary. Set aside, covered to keep them hot.
• The Pork Chops/Las Chuletas
• Sprinkle both sides of the 4 porkchops with adobo, black pepper and oregano. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soak in the seasoning.
• Place a wide pan on high heat. It should be large enough to comfortably fit the 4 porkchops.(Alternately, you cook them in batches, so as not to crowd the chops). Add the cooking oil. Let the oil and pan get nice and hot.
• Add the pork chops and sear: 2 minutes per side. Once both sides are light-golden brown, lower the heat to medium.
• In a bowl, stir together the lime juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and chopped garlic. Pour over and around the porkchops in the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, flipping the porkchops halfway through.
• The balsamic vinegar in the pan will create a nice glaze on the porkchops.
• After 10 minutes, take off the cover and raise the heat to high again.
• Cook 5 last minutes on high, flipping the chops midway. Taste one last time to adjust the seasonings, if needed. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. Each plate should have: a large spoonful or two of the rice, topped with the guandules and their juice. Add one porkchop and its lime-soy-balsamic sauce. Garnish with avocado, a last dash of olive oil and a final sprinkling of garlic powder and/or salt.

Notes

• Have you seen these beans called both gandules and guandules? What’s with the wandering “u”? Dominicans call pigeon peas guandules. Puerto Ricans calls pigeon peas gandules. Both are correct!
• If you can’t find auyama pumpkin, substitute it with the same amount of acorn or butternut squash.
• Rose likes to use healthy avocado oil in her arroz con guandules. Feel free to use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil, she says.
• Rose recommends buying bone-in pork chops for maximum flavor.