Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Pork Chops with Kimchi, Scallions and Browned Butter

Pork Chops with Kimchi, Scallions and Browned Butter

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    40 minutes
  • Rating

Tart, spicy kimchi complements and contrasts sweet, juicy pork in this single-skillet meal. We begin by searing the pork chops until caramelized, then use the remaining fat to build a bright, kimchi-based pan sauce, balanced by rice vinegar and mirin (sake is a good, and slightly more savory, substitute). Browned butter contributes rich, nutty notes, bringing everything together. The chops finish cooking in the sauce, so don’t worry if they’re underdone after their initial sear. Serve with steamed rice, greens or both.

Ingredients
  • 4

    1-inch-thick bone-in, center-cut pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each), patted dry

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons neutral oil

  • 2

    cups chopped cabbage kimchi, plus 3 tablespoons kimchi juice

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 pieces

  • ¼

    cup mirin OR sake

  • 1

    tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 1

    bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Step 1

Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the chops, reduce to medium and cook until browned on the bottoms, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the second sides (they will not be fully cooked), about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, then pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet.

Step 2

Set the skillet over medium and heat the fat until shimmering. Add the kimchi and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Push the kimchi to the edges of the pan and add the butter to the center. Cook, without stirring, until the butter is browned and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Stir the kimchi into the butter, then add the mirin and scrape up any browned bits. Add ½ cup water and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Nestle the chops, keeping the more deeply browned sides up, in the kimchi mixture, then add the accumulated juices. Cook, uncovered, until the thickest parts not touching bone reach 135°F, about 6 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the chops to a platter or individual plates. Into the kimchi mixture, stir the kimchi juice, vinegar and about three-fourths of the scallions, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the chops and sprinkle with the remaining scallions.

Step 4

Optional garnish: Toasted sesame seeds OR toasted sesame oil

Featured in