CHOP JALAPENO RECIPES

Steps:

• In this cooking video, I show you how to chop a jalapeño pepper.  As I’ve said before, knife skills are a very important part of cooking, and working on those, will make you a better faster and safer cook.  As a cook, you can easily spend half (or more) of your time on prep work, so getting fast is important.  Wouldn’t we all rather be eating than chopping? There are few issues you should be aware of when you’re chopping jalapeño peppers Know your heat.  Generally smaller and brighter peppers are hotter, but there’s no substitute for actually tasting a tiny piece before you add it to your dish. You need to decide if you want the seeds or not.  The seeds, and inner membranes or ribs, often hold the most heat, so removing the seeds can be a way to adjust the heat level.  I also think removing the seeds can give a more “refined” look. Be careful what you touch with your hands.  Unless you use gloves, the capsaicin, which is what makes a pepper hot, will get on your hands.  If you touch your eyes after chopping a hot pepper, or some other sensitive area, the capsaicin will transfer to your skin, and give you an…uncomfortable burning As I show in the video, there are a few different ways to chop the peppers depending on your recipe.  You can make: Rings: by just chopping right through the pepper from the top to the bottom Julienne (or match sticks): by cutting off the sides of the pepper (you can do so while leaving the seeds in the pepper) and then cutting long strips from the sides Diced: by cutting your match sticks into small squares Remember to use that claw technique for your chopping, keeping that knife tip on the board and feed the pepper under the blade…you’ll be done in no time.  Enjoy!!

Steps:

• Make the pork chops: In a food processor, blitz the jalapeños, garlic, cilantro stems, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and sugar until smooth. Place the pork chops in a large bowl or resealable container and pour the marinade over them; turn the chops to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• While the chops marinate, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking, or heat a gas grill to medium-high.
• Make the relish: In a small bowl, toss the jalapeño, red onion, rice vinegar, salt, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside to quick-pickle until ready to serve, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• Carefully grease the grill grate: Use tongs to grip a wadded paper towel dipped in oil and then rub the grates with the oiled towel. With the marinade clinging to them, place the pork chops on the hot greased grate. Grill until the chops are charred at the edges and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The meat is ready to flip when it releases easily from the grates. (If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips.) Alternatively, cook the chops on the stovetop in batches. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan, and heat until shimmering. Add the chops, with the marinade clinging to them, to the pan. Sear until browned and caramelized at the edges and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.
• Serve the chops with the relish and cilantro on top. If you’d like, serve rice alongside.