Juicy, moist, and perfectly grilled, these Kurobuta Pork Chops with Miso Sauce are out of this world. Yuzu kosho is the secret ingredient that gives the sauce a citrusy, spicy kick. Select Japanese kurobuta pork for a taste of luxury in this simple weeknight recipe.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by National Pork Board. The opinions stated are my own.
My family loves pork. Not only is it inexpensive and flavorful, but pork is also the jack-of-all-proteins that works in a myriad of dishes. It is a diverse protein giving people the ability to unite through food.
In Japanese cuisine, you can find many classic and favorite recipes – from tonkatsu, tonjiru, chashu, to gyoza – that make the best of this versatile meat. Once in a while, we like to treat ourselves to the decadent kurobuta pork chops, and one of the best ways to enjoy this premium cut is Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chops with Miso Sauce.
What is Kurobuta
Kurobuta translates to the black pig in Japanese. It is a heritage breed that came from Berkshire UK and first imported to Japan in the 19th century. The meat is more marbled, juicy, and flavorful than regular pork.
Many restaurants all over the world now serve kurobuta on their menu but we’ll show you how to cook and enjoy this wonderful meat at home.
In addition, while my family and I were unable to travel to Japan this summer (due to current events) I find that I can connect via cooking. Making recipes with Japanese ingredients always transports a small part of me back there and it’s quite comforting!
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chops with Miso Sauce
- Super easy to make!
- Simple pantry ingredients.
- Minimal kitchen time (mostly inactive time in the fridge and oven).
- Amazing flavors from the pork and sauce!
2 Winning Reasons to Use Kurobuta Pork Chops
1. Enjoy restaurant-quality premium pork at home
In recent years, we’ve seen kurobuta more often on the menu when we dine out at non-Japanese restaurants. Many chefs now prefer kurobuta for its remarkable tenderness and flavor. With the travel and dining restrictions currently in place, you can treat yourself and loved ones at home with this restaurant-quality dish.
2. Juicier than the average pork chop
When it comes to minimally prepped food, it goes without saying that quality ingredients matter. Kurobuta pork is simply juicier than standard pork chops. If you can’t find kurobuta locally, talk to your butcher and ask whether they carry Berkshire pork, or get their best recommendations for grilling. There are a variety of bone-in pork chop options that will work for this recipe!
How to Make Juicy Pork Chops
Dry Brine
Have you had pork chops that are dry, chewy, and unpalatable? What if I tell you that there’s an effortless way to avoid the blunder? The easy solution is always dry brine your pork chop before grilling. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of pork chops and let it sit in the fridge for a day. It’ll make a huge difference!
We tested our recipe with dry brined pork chops and also without dry brining. The result was night and day! Whether it’s standard pork chops or premium kurobuta, the same technique applies.
Reverse Sear
There are a number of ways to cook pork chops and our preferred method is to reverse sear them. Cook the pork chops at a low temperature until the entire cut has reached 145 ºF (63 ºC). Then quickly sear on high heat to give it a nice crust. This cooking method results in a uniform texture throughout and you don’t need to worry about over or undercooking.
We prepared these pork chops in the oven but you can also slow cook them in a smoker or barbeque grill.
You can learn more about reverse sear in this post.
Temperature
The temperature we like to shoot for is 145 ºF (63 ºC) the thickest part of the chopand we use a meat thermometer to measure this. You might have heard that pork must be cooked until juices run clear and the meat is white. This is not true! According to the National Pork Board, with modern pork production practices, commercial retail pork is safe when cooked to an internal temperature of 145 ⁰F, which will be a light blush pink color. These standards are determined by the USDA and FDA Food Code. The most delicious pork is not overcooked!
However, please keep in mind thicker cuts of pork like ribs and shoulders will require a higher internal temperature. Learn more about different kinds of pork cuts here.
Miso Sauce With A Spicy, Citrusy Kick
Once you have perfectly cooked pork chops, it’s time to flavor them. We use a standard Japanese marinade of soy sauce, mirin, and sake as the base sauce. Then enliven up with a couple of spoonful of miso and a touch of yuzu kosho. The resulting pork has just the perfect amount of natural sweetness along with a kick from yuzu kosho.
You might have a favorite way to make pork chops but we highly encourage you to give this miso sauce a try. It’s so flavorful and refreshing at the same time. Our daughter who doesn’t care for spicy food couldn’t get enough of it.
The first taste is just a tiny bit of heat, then you taste the citrus and the umami from the miso sauce. When paired with juicy pork, you get a sensational pork dinner that leaves you excited for days!
What is Yuzu Kosho
Yuzu kosho is a Japanese condiment made with yuzu peel and chili peppers. It has a unique zesty citrus flavor and a gentle spicy kick that goes harmoniously with many Japanese dishes. Yuzu kosho originated from Kyushu area but is now popular all over Japan.
Our family always has a jar of yuzu kosho in our fridge at all times. We use it with sashimi, miso soup, or whenever we’re in the mood for a little spice.
You can purchase this yuzu kosho or other brands on Amazon or find it at most Japanese grocery stores.
If you have been to Kyushu and tried dishes with yuzu kosho and loved them, we hope this pork chop recipe will bring back your happy memories. Every time we drink miso soup with yuzu kosho, we think of our ryokan stays and cave hot springs experience.
What to Serve with This Dish
I’d serve this pork chop with the following sides:
- Steamed white rice or brown rice
- Green Bean Gomaae
- Asian Coleslaw
- Japanese Potato Salad
- Pickled Watermelon Rind
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Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chops with Miso Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 pieces bone-in pork loin chops (¾ inch thick) (2 cm thick; 5 oz, 143 g each; I used Japanese kurobuta pork)
- 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Yuzu Kosho Miso Sauce
- 2 Tbsp miso
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) (adjust the amount to taste)
Instructions
To Salt the Pork (1–2 Days Before Serving)
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Evenly sprinkle half of the 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on one side of the 4 pieces bone-in pork loin chops (¾ inch, 2 cm thick).
- Flip over the pork chops and evenly sprinkle the other side with the remaining half of the salt. Cover with cling wrap and let rest for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
To Marinate with the Miso Sauce (6 Hours Before Serving)
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a measuring cup, combine 2 Tbsp miso,2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil.
- Add 2 tsp yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) and whisk all together.
- Pour the miso sauce over the pork chops and flip them to coat the other side of the meat.
- Cover with cling wrap and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Flip the pork chops to coat the other side with the sauce. Cover again and put in the refrigerator for another 2 hours.
To Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200ºF (93ºC). Transfer the pork chops to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. My probe is on the left side, so I put the thickest pork chop on the left. Reserve the marinade.
- Insert the probe in the center of the thickest pork chop. Keep inserting until it‘s positioned near the bone.
- Attach the probe to the oven and bake at 200ºF (93ºC) for roughly 1 hour. Set the probe temperature to 145ºF (63ºC).
- Meanwhile, transfer the remaining marinade to a small pot and bring it to boil on medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened a bit. Transfer to a small bowl.
- When the internal temperature of the pork chop reaches 145ºF (63ºC), they‘re done cooking.
To Sear on the Grill
- Take out the pork chops to the outdoor grill (alternately, you can use a cast iron pan to sear). Preheat the grill to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Sear the meat for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the grill.
To Serve
- Serve immediately along with the reduced sauce. Here on the plate, I serve the pork chops with steamed rice, cherry tomatoes, and Green Bean Gomaae.
To Store
- Put the pork chops in an airtight container/bag and store them in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, put the frozen pork chops in the preheated oven at 350ºF (150ºC).
Hi, I love your recipes!
Quick question: what specific kind of miso do you use for this particular dish?
Hi Tim! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and for your kind words!
Nami used “Koji miso”
We hope this helps!
Amazon has a very inexpensive yozu kosho paste – would you recommend that? Do you think I could find it at H-Mart?
Hi Bonnie! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Nami has a post where she recommends different brands of Yuzu Kosho’s. We hope this is helpful.🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/yuzu-kosho/
Have you discovered a substitute for the yuzu kosho? It will be a month before we get 168 Market.
Tom Champion
Hi Tom!
I hope all is well with you.
Yuzu is made from chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt. We recommend using a blend of citrus zest, chile, and salt.
It’s hard to find Yuzu Kosho in Asian markets (unless they are well stocked with unique Japanese ingredients). Nami suggested several Yuzu Kosho products on Amazon in Yuzu Kosho pantry page here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/yuzu-kosho/ Hope that helps!
Delicious and juicy. thank you for the helpful hints on tenderizing pork. I usually end up with a dried piece so this was great! Flavors were wonderful.
Hi Susan,
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed this dish!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
Why not sous vide before searing?
Hi Mike,
Sous vide works but most people don’t have a sous vide machine. We also prefer the texture of the pork after reverse searing.
If you want it sous vide, 3-4 hours at 140F but no more than 4 hours.
Kenji Lopez wrote a good article on it.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/04/sous-vide-pork-chops-recipe.html
Hi Nami dear (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤,
Thank you so much for sharing the “dry brine” technique!!!!! It made such a huge difference on our pork chops!! My husband and children clean off the plates and still want more. I am making more of this for a fall family gathering and they will be thrilled!!
Hi Coco,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.
We’re so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the dish!🙂
This is such a great recipe (as usual)—thanks Nami! I couldn’t find yuzu kosho, so I used ponzu sauce instead of soy sauce and it was delicious. I don’t know if that was the intended taste, but I’ll continue looking for yuzu kosho.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. We’re so glad to hear it turned out good and you enjoyed the dish.
The Green Yuzu Kosho is made with green yuzu + green chili peppers (spicier). I encourage you to check out this post to learn more about it and where you can buy it! https://www.justonecookbook.com/yuzu-kosho/
I hope you can taste Yuzu Kosho soon!🙂
The recipe for the sauce/marinade was terrific!!! My husband and I enjoyed this dinner so much. The only difference to my making the sauce was I had to make a yuzu kosho condiment that I found on the internet. You have offered so many great Japanese recipes for me to try (I was not familiar with Japanese cuisine until I found your webpage.)
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your efforts to educate us.
Karen aka SageMyst
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. We’re so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed the dish.
You have no idea how much your kind words meant to us! Thank you!
Is there a substitute for the Yazu sauce?
Hi Carol,
We recommend using a blend of citrus zest, chile, and salt.
If you don’t like the citrus taste, you may simply skip it.
I hope this is helpful.
Hi, my husband has been trying to find yuzu kosho at the Japanese market for a long time. We have Mitsuwa, Nijiya and Marukai in our city. Do you know what aisle it would be located? (Maybe next time I should go with him and ask a worker…) Thank you!
Hi Nancy,
We usually see Yuzu Kosho in a place with other condiments like Shichimi etc.
I hope you can find it!
If you can’t find it in Japanaese grocery store, Amazon has a decent selection as well. You want yuzu kosho from kyushu such as https://amzn.to/3cUbct3