Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001

FAST LANE
Take shortcut to capture long-marinated flavor

By SARAH FRITSCHNER
The Louisville Courier-Journal


"Adobado" describes a Portuguese cooking technique in which meat is
marinated with paprika, cumin, garlic, herbs and sometimes hot
peppers for up to several days before being grilled or roasted.

It is a time-consuming process for the harried home cook -- but one
worth doing if you're planning a cookout this weekend. You'll have
time to marinate a large pork loin or whole chicken for lengthy
roasting on the grill.

On a weeknight, perhaps you'd like to indulge in the special flavors
of Portuguese adobado without having to marinate the meat for a day
or two and roast it for hours.

Use instead some thin pork loin chops. Give them a chance to marinate
all day, if you have time to assemble the dish in the morning, or for
at least 30 minutes while your grill is heating.

And don't be afraid of the salt in this recipe -- it's an equal
partner with the spice mixture in seasoning the pork.

"Salt is the primary seasoning ingredient we use," writes California
chef Thomas Keller in his prize-winning book, "The French Laundry
Cookbook" (Artisan, 1999). "It heightens the flavor of everything
across the board, no matter what you're doing -- even some sweets.
Without it, the flavor of meats and vegetables . . . is a little
flat."

Remember that and you can transform your cooking from good to great.

Fast Lane list: garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, pork chops, yellow
rice, tomatoes.


Pork chops adobado

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
4 boneless pork chops, about an inch thick

(If you're grilling the chops, heat your grill as necessary.)

In a small skillet over low heat, combine olive oil, garlic and
oregano. Heat for 2 minutes or until they become aromatic. Stir in
cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Place the pork chops in a wide pan and pour the seasoned oil over
them. Rub the mixture into the pork and let it stand at least 30
minutes, or refrigerate all day or overnight. Broil or grill about 5
minutes per side, or until pork is done to desired taste.

Serves 4.

Serve with yellow rice and sliced tomatoes.