History of the Can-Can Pork Chop

In 1957, Don Juan Vera Martínez, a passionate rooster breeder, decided to open a restaurant one day. Once the restaurant was inaugurated, some friends visited him, and one of them requested a pork chop cut with fat and skin. Among friends who loved roosters, they fried the pork chops; this happened for several days until, one day, they received a large chop with a crispy chicharrón (pork rind) edge. Seeing the large chop with a chicharrón edge, everyone remembered the can-can petticoats that women wore in the 1950s. The dish gained popularity among his clients and became known throughout Puerto Rico island.

Although attempts have been made to copy the Can-Can pork chop recipe, they haven't quite matched the original. The secret is kept by Don Juan Vera Martínez’s restaurant, which maintains its family business, passed down through several generations, continuing to serve its special Can-Can pork chop. The recipe involves marinating the meat in a mixture of cilantro, oregano, vinegar, garlic, and other typical regional ingredients that give the dish its distinctive flavor. One of the local ingredients added to the marinade is annatto, a spice extracted from the achiote tree.