Pork Chops and Apples With Miso Caramel

This decadent tasting Paleo friendly entrée elevates pork chops with complex, umami flavors. Miso is made from fermented soy beans and it provides a unique salty tanginess that pairs beautifully with sweet apples and brown sugar. One serving provides 29 grams of protein. Miso is a good source of probiotics that support gut health as well as manganese and vitamin K. It does have a high sodium content however so you may want to use less if you have high blood pressure.

Makes: 2 servings
Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons white miso
• 2 (1- to 1½-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops, patted very dry
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
• 2 small or 1 large Granny Smith or other tart-crisp apples, cored then sliced ¼ inch thick

Cooking Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons water with the brown sugar, vinegar and miso; stir with a fork until smooth. Season the pork chops all over with salt, then the pepper. (Don’t skimp on the pepper; it’s an important element to balance the caramel.)
2. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the oil and the pork chops to the skillet. Cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until browned on the outside and the internal temperature in the thickest part is around 135 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of pork chops. If your chops have a fat cap, using tongs, stack both chops on top of each other, then grab both chops together and hold upright to sear the fat caps until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
3. Add the apples to the skillet in a single layer and heat over medium. (Snack on any that don’t fit.) Cook without touching until browned underneath, 2 to 4 minutes. If the pan is smoking at any point, reduce heat. Pour in the brown sugar mixture and cook, scraping up browned bits and stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 1 to 3 minutes. (Keep your eye on the sauce toward the end so it doesn’t burn.)
4. Turn off the heat, add the pork chops and their juices back to the skillet and turn to coat in the caramel. Serve the pork chops with a spoonful of the apples and caramel.

Nutrition per serving
385 calories; 17 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 668 milligrams sodium.

Recipe by Ali Slagle, NY Times Cooking

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