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.
What you’ll need
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$26 At Amazon
Large Skillet
$74 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
1
4
2
3
2
6
½
½
4
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
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.