Bake

Soy-Marinated Baked Pork Chops With Charred Scallions

February 15, 2022
5
3 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten Prop Stylist: Molly Fitzsimons Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog
  • Prep time 2 hours 35 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Typically I favor bone-in cuts for the extra flavor they add, but I found that baking them resulted in inconsistent results as the size varied too much between chops. Instead, I opted for boneless pork chops, which are usually 3/4- to 1-inch-thick and were perfectly cooked every time. A quick marinade comes from a handful of pantry ingredients (like soy sauce, Worcestershire, and Dijon), which adds a real umami flavor to the pork chops. A little bit of brown sugar ensures the chops get that gorgeous caramelized exterior under the broiler.

The joy of these baked pork chops is that you can let them sit in the marinade for up to 12 hours, meaning you can prepare them at the beginning of the day and you’re halfway to dinner by the time you’re starting to feel peckish. After baking, I finish them under the broiler with a handful of scallions.

Note: The soy sauce adds enough salt to season the chops, so resist the urge to add any extra to the marinade. This marinade doesn’t use any acid, like lime juice, which means the meat can marinate for a lot longer than other recipes. While acid adds flavor, the enzymes break down the proteins in the meat quickly which can render an unappealing mushy, gray chop if you let it marinate for over over an hour or two. —Alexis deBoschnek

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) boneless pork chops
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bunches (about 10) scallions, ends trimmed
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
Directions
  1. On a cutting board, pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and transfer to a resealable bag or rimmed baking dish.
  2. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper to a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and whisk to combine. Pour the marinade into the bag and seal, making suring to press any extra air out; or pour into the baking dish. Use your hands to massage the marinade onto the meat, making sure all sides of the pork chops are coated; or flip the meat in the baking dish to coat completely, then cover with plastic wrap. Transfer the pork chops to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 12.
  3. Position the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375˚F. 20 to 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator.
  4. Place the pork chops on a rimmed sheet pan, discarding the extra marinade, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, scatter the scallions around the pork chops, and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the oven to broil on high. Broil until the pork chops begin to char on the edges and the scallions are wilted with some charred spots, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145˚F. The temperature rises quickly, so make sure to keep a close eye on the temperature.
  5. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Season the scallions with salt and chop into bite-sized pieces if you’d like (or leave whole).

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Alexis deBoschnek is a freelance recipe developer, cook, and video host based in the Catskills.

3 Reviews

Linda D. February 10, 2024
Made this again last night, Alexis. Back to the oven prep on a cold February night. Still a winner! Thank you!
 
Linda D. May 8, 2023
Made the dish again, but this time I grilled the porkchops. Delicious! And the times were true and the chops were juicy! Thank you, again!
 
Linda D. November 18, 2022
Thanks so much, Alexis for this simple and savory dish.