In the seventh grade I started at a new small middle school. As for the schools, I think you would consider mine “strange”. For example, we had exercise every morning, but after lunch we had health and personal reflection. Some might say it was a free hour, but we had work to do before the end of the quarter. This can range from a journal entry on a specific topic to creating a WordPress blog for a hobby. In one semester we talked about cultural differences in our everyday life. This included a weekend overnight stay with another student from the school. If you’ve ever seen the episode “The Proud Family,” where Penny spends a week with the Zamin family, it was.
I was matched with an exchange student who came mid-year. Mei, who was born in Japan, has lived in the States since she was 4 years old. We had a lot in common – we both liked Ron Weasley, watched anime and hated walking.
When we watched “Degrassi” in her house, intoxicating smells entered my nostrils. On the way to the kitchen I was greeted with an abundance of ingredients – soy sauce, mirin, herbs and vegetables I had never seen before. Miso soup bubbled on the stove while her mother prepared the main course.
“Have you ever drunk Niku Miso?” She asked. Thinking she meant miso soup, I replied, “No, because I don’t like chunks of tofu, but I do like wonton soup.” After a little chuckle, she asked me if I eat pork, then revealed the source of the wonderful smell. When I placed two heaped balls in a lettuce leaf, I finally got the answer I was looking for.
Niku miso is braised ground pork flavored primarily with miso but also with other delicious flavors. The pork is so juicy and moist. I could have eaten 100 more lettuce wraps. I spent the rest of the weekend offering to help cook while Mei and her mother shared stories about their grandmother and life in Japan.
This miso-glazed pork chop pays homage to the smothered pork chops I grew up with and my first real introduction to miso and Japanese cuisine. The boneless pork chop, cut in half, is seared before being finished cooking in a miso glaze. Pair it with your favorite veggies and a starch for a quick and easy meal that’s sure to please.
Pork chop glazed with miso
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serving size: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 boneless pork chops, cut in half
- 4 tablespoons miso (either white miso or awase; I used awase)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- Optional: freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Optional: 2 spring onion stalks
STEPS:
- Pat pork chops dry. If there is a thick chunk of fat around your pork chop, score it from top to bottom several times. This will prevent it from curling up as it cooks. Poke holes with a fork and place back in the fridge until ready to cook.
- In a small bowl, combine the miso, rice wine vinegar, mirin, honey, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Set aside whisk until combined.
- Heat neutral oil in a pan over medium heat. Season both sides of the pork with pepper, if desired. I would not recommend using salt due to the salt content in miso and soy sauce.
- Place the pork chops in the pan and press down lightly to ensure contact with the pan. Bake 4-5 minutes on each side. If necessary, work in batches. Place cooked pork chop on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet.
- Remove all pork chops from pan and reduce heat to medium/low. Pour miso mixture into pan. Stir slowly with a rubber spatula. In a bowl, whisk cornstarch with ½ cup water. Add to the miso mixture.
- When the mixture begins to bubble, about 2-4 minutes, return the pork chops to the pan. Turn a few times to coat.
- Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken; Spoon glaze over pork chop.
- Remove from the heat, garnish with spring onions or sesame seeds and enjoy!