Al Pastor Pico Pork
with Zesty Lime Rice & Smoky Red Pepper Crema
- Milk
We can never get enough of sweet and savory combos for dinner, which is why we’re head-over-heels for al pastor. Traditionally, the dish features pineapple-marinated pork shoulder that’s spit-roasted until caramelized and meltingly tender. For this riff on the classic, we swap in pork chops, which we rub with Southwest spices, then sear until juicy. The pineapple actually makes not one, but two appearances: The juice is simmered with rich spices and lime to form a tantalizing pan sauce, while the fruit is chopped and stirred into a fresh salsa. It’s all served with zesty rice and smoky red pepper crema.
Ingredients
12 ounce
Pork Chops
2 tablespoon
Smoky Red Pepper Crema
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lime
2 unit
Scallions
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 unit
Tex-Mex Paste
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
¼ ounce
Cilantro
4 ounce
Pineapple
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While rice cooks, drain pineapple over a small bowl, reserving juice; roughly chop. Zest and quarter lime. Roughly chop cilantro. Trim and thinly slice scallions. • To bowl with pineapple juice, stir in Tex-Mex paste, 2 TBSP water (3 TBSP for 4 servings), and juice from half the lime.
• In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, scallions, chopped pineapple, and a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pat pork* dry with paper towels and season all over with half the Southwest Spice (all for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes per side. TIP: If seasoning begins to burn before pork is cooked through, reduce heat to medium. • Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board. Wipe out pan.
• Return pan used for pork to medium-high heat. Add pineapple juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes. • Remove from heat; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until melted.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in lime zest and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice pork crosswise. • Divide rice between bowls and top with pork. Drizzle pork with pan sauce, then garnish with pineapple salsa and smoky red pepper crema. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the blend of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. Some found the Tex-Mex paste overpowering or too spicy.
- Ease of prep: Customers appreciated the simple preparation and quick cooking time. A few mentioned the instructions could be clearer.
- Suggestions: Consider adding jalapeños to the salsa for extra kick. Some recommend using fresh pineapple instead of canned for better flavor.
- Portions: Several noted too much rice; many wished for more vegetables to balance the meal.
- Texture: Some found the pork tender and juicy, while others felt it was a bit tough or fatty.
Reviews from our home cooks
The crema didn't really seem to fit. The flavor did but with the pico and sauce it wasn't needed. It tasted good and I added it because I try to stick to the recipe as is to enjoy it as it's meant to be. But the crema was too much.
This dish was a real treat. The scallions, pineapple, smoking red pepper crema and tex mex paste gave us quite a thrill. We really enjoyed all the different flavors.
The boneless pork chops were wonderful with the pineapple salsa and tasty rice. Great flavor combos. I added steamed broccoli to the meal.
This was great. I cooked the pork 4 mins on each 2 sides and a few seconds to minutes on the short sides. It was cooked perfectly and the pineapple sauce is great.
Added a red bell pepper and sauted in pineapple juice mixture as it thickened. Gave a blast of color and some crunch.
THIS was one of our favorites. A bit more paste for the sauce would be my request. Also, would add more yum yum sauce. Seasoning for pork was excellent too!! Luckily we have more leftovers!!
So tasty! Love the flavor blend of spicy, citrus and cilantro! Very generous portions too!
This was really good. I have made the salsa before for porkchops so i was familiar with it. I didnt know that mixing it all together would taste as well as it did. Pleasantly surprised.
Perfect amount of spice and super easy to make! This definitely went in the recipe book to make again.
This was very good. We added more pineapple to the recipe and it turned out perfectly. We are not people who typically put sauces on our food, but this recipe will get ordered again.
