Tuna Toast

Last Post Before VACATION: Yuzu Miso Pork Chops


Vacation, all I ever wanted.....vacation haaave to get away...........Yes, dear readers, the time has once again come for another trip to one of my favorite places on earth. JAPAN! I guess my last trip was only six short months ago, but this time J's band is going on a one week tour and I've decided to tag along, groupie-style. Ok, not groupie-style but wife-style. We'll start off in Osaka, then go to Tokyo and finish up in Nagoya. Although we'll miss Thanksgiving, we'll have plenty of non-turkey items to nosh on. I'm particularly looking forward to okonomiyaki, ramen, hot corn soup in the can in the vending machines (hey- it's GOOD), thick toast with good coffee, and lots of izakaya eats! It will be nice to be in a place that actually feels like winter, since Los Angeles refuses to cool down. It's difficult to feel the holiday spirit when it's 85 degrees out.

Miso mixed with yuzu, mirin, egg, sugar, yuzu kosho...

In honor of our upcoming journey, I'd like to share with you a Japanese-inspired dish that I snagged off of Chubby Hubby. I made a few tweaks (like using pork instead of lamb) and skipped all of the garnishes, but it came out very well. My parents bought a yuzu tree that is now filled with the little citrus, and I was lucky enough to get one last weekend when I went over for dinner. I'd clipped and saved the CH recipe months ago and finally had the chance to try it out!

Browning the chops.......

Placed in baking dish........

I purchased three boneless pork chops and brined them in water, brown sugar and salt for 2 days (I brine most of my chicken and pork these days- it makes ALL the difference). Since Chubby Hubby's recipe is for 10 servings, I did my best to whittle it down and convert the measurements. I mixed some white miso paste, mirin, sugar, one egg yolk, yuzu kosho and the grated peel of one yuzu in a bowl and set it aside while I browned the pork chops in a pan. After generously smearing each pork chop with the miso paste, I sprinkled each with a bit of panko and a few slivered almonds before placing them in a baking dish in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.


The chops came out great, and the flavor of the yuzu mixed in with the sweet miso was fantastic. Served with some steamed brown rice, mushrooms sautéed in butter and soy sauce and a green salad, it was a nice, healthy dinner. Next time I will definitely try it out with lamb chops, although this yuzu miso would be good on pretty much anything, including halibut or chicken. I think it will make repeated appearances on our table. Thanks CH!

Dinner is served!

I doubt I'll be able to blog during my trip, but I will absolutely make it my duty to eat as much good food as I can- after all, it's my responsibility to you, dear reader!



Hope you all have a beautiful Thanksgiving and lots of delicious food!