Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions
It was really hard to choose just one recipe to share from Eric Kim's book Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home after our conversation with him. We chose these pork chops because they strike just the right chord for family cooks. Picky kids can eat the pork chops plain, slightly adventurous eaters can add the scallions, and everyone else can enjoy everything with Eric's tasty dipping sauce. With rice on the side, it's the ultimate deconstruct-able meal.
Recipe by Eric Kim on May 9, 2022
Ingredients
For the pork chops:
2 teaspoons kosher salt2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 2 bone-in pork chops, 1 inch thick (about 10 ounces each)2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, cut into 3-inch segments, then thinly sliced lengthwise into strips1 tablespoon rice vinegar1 tablespoon gochugaruPinch of dark brown sugarKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To finish:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperDark brown sugar2 tablespoons toasted sesame oilCooked white rice for serving
Steps
Prepare the pork chops: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Sprinkle the rub generously on both sides of the pork chops and let them dry-brine at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour (any longer and you’ll end up with deli meat).
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
When ready to cook, blot both sides of the pork chops with a paper towel (removing the moisture will help you get a nicely browned crust) and smear the oil on both sides of each pork chop with your hand
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very, very hot (you might see a wisp of smoke). Sear the pork chops until nicely browned, 2 minutes on the first side, then repeat on the second side, just 1 minute this time
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145°F, 8 to 10 minutes (with a thick pork chop, to get an accurate read, you’ll need to use tongs to hold the chop and then carefully insert the thermometer laterally from the side). Remove the pan from the oven and set the pork chops aside on two serving plates to rest while you prepare the scallion salad and dipping sauce.
Make the vinegared scallions: In a medium bowl, toss together the scallions, vinegar, gochugaru, and brown sugar. Season generously with salt and pepper and scatter messily over the pork chop
To finish: Make the dipping sauce by adding a pinch each of salt, pepper, and brown sugar to two small dishes. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to each dish and stir until the sugar dissolve
Serve each scallion-bedecked pork chop alongside a mound of white rice and the dipping sauce on the side (see Note).
