Pork Chops with Yuzo-Miso Marinade

By Harris Salat, The Japanese Food Report and The Japanese Grill

With these pork chops, you marinate the meat in miso overnight for two reasons: First, it takes time for the pork to absorb the miso flavor. Second, it gives the active bacteria cultures in miso time to tenderize the meat. The result is tender, lip-smacking chops with a pleasing touch of heat from the yuzu kosho.

1/4 cup red miso
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons red yuzu kosho
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 pounds

Mix together the miso, sake, mirin, yuzu kosho, scallions and sesame oil in a bowl. Pour 3/4 of the marinade onto a baking dish or sheet pan, and reserve the rest. Lay the pork chops in the marinade and flip them 4 times to generously coat both sides of the meat. Once they’re coated, marinate the pork chops for 12 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.

Preheat a grill to a 2-zone fire (medium and hot). Grill the pork chops for about 10 minutes. Start on hot heat for about 1 minute, then shift the chops to medium heat. After about 4 minutes, flip the chops and repeat the 2-zone grilling on the other side. When the pork is ready, it’ll be glossy and juicy on the outside. Test for doneness using the nick and peek method. Let the pork chops rest for about 2 minutes, and serve.