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Citrus-Glazed Pork Chops With Watercress

4.8

(4)

Glazed pork chops on pink plates
Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Tyna Hoang, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

Quick-cooking pork chops can be a great weeknight-friendly option and here we lean on the power of sugar to help create a speedy sweet-and-salty citrus pan sauce that feels a lot more dressed-up than it is. A little brown sugar on the pork chops gives you a perfectly caramelized brown crust on each side. Cut citrus pieces get seared in the pork’s drippings until lightly charred, adding a slight smokiness to the dish. Mirin and oyster sauce are the deglazing agents, providing the sauce’s backbone. Juice from the reserved citrus becomes a simple dressing for a peppery watercress salad. If you use thicker pork chops, return them to the pan to finish cooking and ensure that they remain juicy.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
4 1"-thick bone-in pork rib chops
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
3 Cara Cara or navel oranges, cut into 4 wedges each
2 lemons, halved crosswise, seeds removed
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup mirin
½ cup oyster sauce
4 oz. watercress, trimmed (about 4 cups)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine; sprinkle over four 1"-thick bone-in pork rib chops on both sides.

    Step 2

    Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil between batches, cook pork chops, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn pork chops over and cook until browned on other side and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer pork chops to plates and let rest at least 10 minutes.

    Step 3

    While the pork chops are resting, arrange 3 Cara Cara or navel oranges, cut into 4 wedges each, and 2 lemons, halved crosswise, seeds removed, cut side down, in same skillet (do not wipe out) and cook, undisturbed, over medium-high heat until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer lemons to a plate. Turn oranges over and cook until lightly charred on other side, about 3 minutes; transfer to same plate.

    Step 4

    Reduce heat to low and add 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, to skillet. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in ½ cup mirin and ½ cup oyster sauce and squeeze in juice from 4 orange wedges and 2 lemon halves. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Step 5

    Toss 4 oz. watercress, trimmed (about 4 cups), and juice from 4 orange wedges and remaining 2 lemon halves in a large bowl; season with salt.

    Step 6

    Drizzle sauce over pork chops. Divide watercress and remaining 4 orange wedges alongside chops.

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