Pork chops are the kind of protein that can be hit or miss, because they are very easy to botch when you’re cooking them. Even bone-in pork chops tend to be fairly lean, so if they are overcooked by even a minutes or two they can become dry, flavorless hockey pucks. The trick to the perfect chops is to pan fry them, and to use a really delicious marinade.

This recipe is super simple, and you’ll get juicy, scrumptious pork chops every time. If you love sweet and savory asian flavors, this recipe is right up your alley.

Honey tamari pork chops

Chops:
2-4 pork chops
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Black pepper to taste

Marinade:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup tamari
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons ginger

First, take your marinade ingredients and pour them all into a small bowl. Next, whisk the marinade ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.

Take your pork chops and place them in a large ziplock bag, making sure the chops don’t overlap. Next, pour the tamari marinade into the bag. Zip the bag up and lay the chops out flat in the back on a large plate. Put the pork chops in the fridge to marinate for between 4 and 6 hours.

Once the chops have marinated, take a large fry pan and put in a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil. Set the pan to a medium-high heat and add your chops. Sear the chops for about 3 to 4 minutes per side for thin chops, 5 – 6 minutes per side for thickly-sliced chops.

Once the chops are finished cooking, sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Tamari is already somewhat salty, so you shouldn’t need to salt the chops. These pork chops are fantastic along side a number of different vegetables. Try them with crispy Brussels sprouts, a chopped salad, steamed broccoli, or string beans. Enjoy!

ALICIA BANE is Wire Editor of The Times Record, and a food blogger. See more recipes from her at eeshaeats.wordpress.com