Honey Soy Pork Chops with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash & Shishito Peppers

Thinly sliced “bone-in” pork chops are marinated in a honey-soy sauce mixture and pan-seared until just cooked through and then served over tender and sweet miso roasted kabocha squash and blistered shishito peppers providing for a light yet filling fall entrée.

Honey Soy Pork Chops with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash & Shishito Peppers

What are Shishito Peppers? 

Shishito peppers are a small Japanese pepper that has a mellow and slightly sweet flavor. The only caveat? About every 1 in 10 is hot so in eating them you end up playing a little game of Russian – or pepper – roulette.

I have a shishito pepper plant on my little patio garden, and they are fairly easy to grow. I recommend picking them when they are bright green and about 2-inches long. If they are left on the plant too long, they turn red. While I am sometimesguilty of this, picking them when they are green will allow for the best flavor.

What is Kabocha Squash? 

Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is a versatile, yet sweet winter squash. For some reason when I see the word I automatically think of kombucha, but it is not the same as the fermented beverage despite the similar name. Kabocha squash is much like sweet potato in both flavor and texture.

To break down kabocha squash, use a large, sharp knife to slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds out and then carefully peel the skin off using a paring knife. Finally, cut the squash into either wedges or chunks.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Pork chop – Pork chops come from the loin of the pig but there are several different types out there. For this recipe look for the rib chop – this will give you a large piece of lean loin meat with the bone attached and a layer of fat by the bone coming from the rib section of the pig’s loin. The fat helps to keep the meat moist and tender while the bone provides added flavor.
• Miso – White miso has a mild flavor profile balancing sweet and salty, enhancing the natural sugar in the squash and adding a rich, buttery flavor to the dish. The miso kabocha contrasts with the salty, seared pork chops. I love using bone-in pork chops because not only are they more aesthetically appealing, but bone-in adds flavor and helps to keep the thin pork chops juicy.
• Soy sauce – I use reduced sodium soy sauce so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe, adding more if needed.

How to Make Honey Soy Pork Chops with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash

1. Make the honey soy marinade. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil and honey. Add to a gallon re-sealable plastic bag with the pork chops. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
2. Cook the pork chops. Heat a large (12-inch) cast iron pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil and heat through. Working in batches if necessary, sear the pork chops until golden brown on both sides, about 7 to 8 minutes total. Set aside.
3. Heat oven. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
4. Toss the squash in the miso sauce. Whisk the miso and vegetable oil together. Add the kabocha squash to a medium mixing bowl and toss with the miso mixture until completely coated. Spread out in an even single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Season with salt.
5. Roast the squash. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Cook the shishitos. Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the shishitos and cook, stirring occasionally until blistered all over, about 6 minutes.
7. Assemble and serve. Serve the kabocha squash and shishitos topped with the pork chops.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt and Lemon
• Apple Cider and Sage Glazed Pork Chops
• Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Citrus Salad
• Kabocha Squash Mac and Cheese

Honey Soy Roasted Pork Chops with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash & Shishito Peppers

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 35 mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the honey soy pork chops:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 (½” thick) bone-in pork chops

For the miso roasted kabocha squash:

• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small kabocha squash, about 3 pounds, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” chunks
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

For the shishitos:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound shishito peppers

Instructions:

For the soy pork chops:

• In a small mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil and honey. Add to a gallon re-sealable plastic bag with the pork chops. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Heat a large (12-inch) cast iron pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil and heat through. Working in batches if necessary, sear the pork chops until golden brown on both sides, about 7 to 8 minutes total. Set aside.

For the miso roasted kabocha squash:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
• Whisk the miso and vegetable oil together. Add the kabocha squash to a medium mixing bowl and toss with the miso mixture until completely coated. Spread out in an even single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Season with salt.
• Roast until tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

For the shishitos:

• Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the shishitos and cook, stirring occasionally until blistered all over, about 6 minutes.

For serving:

• Serve the kabocha squash and shishitos topped with the pork chops.

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