My Yiayia's Pork Chops With Cumin and Oregano Rub.

This way of making pork chops is a tradition in my family. I've never seen it served anywhere else, therefore, I do indeed wonder about the origin of the recipe. It's something my grandmother and mother liked to cook in winter. I learned how to make it just by watching. 

The dominant seasoning in this recipe is cumin, so much so, that when I think of cumin I think of pork chops, and vice versa. Cumin has a smoky flavour and is a favourite spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Here, it's combined with Greek oregano, garlic, rosemary, and onions. The results are fragrant and delicious. 

These pork chops were made on a blisteringly cold January day. I broiled them indoors, in my warm kitchen. If you can brave the winter cold, fire up the grill and cook them outdoors. You will deserve an extra pork chop for your efforts.

I don't have specific measurements for the ingredients. I "eye" everything. However, remember that cumin has a strong flavour so don't use so much that it overpowers the dish. For cumin, it's best to have cumin seeds on hand and grind them as needed.

Here's what to do:

Wash and dry the pork chops. Rub both sides with a combination of lemon juice, olive oil, and a scant amount of Dijon mustard. 

In a bowl, combine freshly ground cumin, dried Greek oregano, fresh rosemary, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle these seasonings on both sides of the pork chops. 

Slice an onion into rings. Place half of the rings on the bottom of a flat food storage container. Place the pork chops on top of the onions and cover them with the rest of the onion slices. Cover the container and let rest in the refrigerator for about four hours. 

Shake the onions off and broil or grill the pork chops. 

As the porks chops are cooking, slice an onion into rings. I a skillet, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion slices and cook, stirring often, until they are caramelised. 

Top each pork chop with caramelised onions and serve with lemon slices.

 

I like to serve these pork chops over rice cooked with pignoli nuts, however, grandmother served them plain, just with the caramelised onions and lemon. They were the first course for Sunday dinner. There were usually a lot of us around her table therefore, a second course was needed and appreciated!  

Well, those were the good old days when grandmother (or yiayia) ruled the kitchen. Today, when I cook, about ninety-five per cent of the time, I cook one-course meals. And I want to confess that the addition of Dijon mustard was my own idea. It's the only ingredient not found in grandmother's recipe. I don't think my yiayia liked to cook with mustard.