Thick-Cut Pork Chops with Salsa Macha

Steps

1. Step 1

   Pat the pork chops dry and season them all over, including the fat edge, with the salt and pepper. Let them sit at room temperature while you prep the chile ingredients, at least 20 minutes.

   20 min, hands-off

   • 4 bone-in pork chops, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick (about 12 oz each)
   • 2 tsp kosher salt
   • 1 tsp black pepper
2. Step 2

   Heat the oven to 400°F. Stem and seed the guajillos and tear them into pieces; tear the árbol chiles in half (leave their seeds in for more heat). Slice the garlic for the salsa thin.

   400°F

   • 4 dried guajillo chiles
   • 3 dried chiles de árbol
   • 4 cloves garlic
3. Step 3

   Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat until it just smokes. Add the chops and sear without moving them until deeply browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and sear the second side 3 minutes, then stand them on the fat edge for a minute to render.

   8 min

   • 4 bone-in pork chops, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick (about 12 oz each)
   • 1 tbsp neutral oil
4. Step 4

   Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, smashed garlic and thyme, and tilt the pan so the butter pools. Spoon the foaming butter over the chops for about 1 minute. Then slide the skillet into the oven and roast until a thermometer in the center of a chop (away from the bone) reads 140°F, 6 to 10 minutes.

   10 min · 400°F

   • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
5. Step 5

   Move the chops to a cutting board or platter, spoon a little of the pan butter over them, and let them rest while you make the salsa.

   10 min, hands-off

6. Step 6

   Pour off the fat from the skillet and wipe it out, or use a small saucepan. Add the 3/4 cup oil and the peanuts and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the peanuts are pale gold, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and sesame seeds and cook until the garlic is just golden, 1 to 2 minutes more.

   6 min

   • 3/4 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
   • 1/3 cup raw peanuts
   • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
   • 4 cloves garlic
7. Step 7

   Turn off the heat, add all the chile pieces and stir for 30 to 60 seconds in the residual heat; they should darken and smell toasty but not blacken, or the salsa turns bitter. Let cool 10 minutes, then stir in the vinegar, brown sugar and salt. Pulse briefly in a food processor or chop the solids by hand and stir back into the oil, leaving it coarse and crunchy.

   12 min

   • 4 dried guajillo chiles
   • 3 dried chiles de árbol
   • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
   • 1 tsp brown sugar
   • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
8. Step 8

   Slice the chops off the bone into thick pieces if you like, or serve them whole. Spoon the salsa macha generously over the pork, scatter with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas. Leftover salsa keeps in a jar in the fridge for up to a month.

   • 1 lime
   • 8 corn tortillas
   • 2 tbsp cilantro

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026