MAPLE-SOY PORK CHOPS WITH SHICHIMI TOGARASHI

Shichimi togarashi is a citrusy, savory Japanese seven-spice blend featuring ground red chiles, roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, sansho pepper, seaweed and often ginger. You can extend those sharp, multilayered flavors with lime juice, maple syrup and a touch of soy reduced to a sticky pan sauce that slicks quick-cooking pork chops in this easy recipe. Try to find bone-in loin chops with nice fat caps around the curved outer edges for richness and succulence.

Makes: 2 to 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

4 bone-in (½-inch-thick) pork chops Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Zest and juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (see note), plus more for serving Neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 1. Cut two shallow slits into the fat cap of each pork chop to help the chops stay flat as they cook. Season the chops with salt and pepper. (If you have time and want to ensure juicy meat, refrigerate to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.)

2. In a bowl, stir the lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, shichimi togarashi, ½ teaspoon salt and 3 grinds of pepper to combine.

3. Heat a large skillet over mediumhigh. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Working in batches as needed, add chops and cook until browned and crusty, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest.

4. Add the lime juice mixture to the pan, still over medium-high heat, and let it bubble up and cook, stirring constantly, until syrupy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Off the heat, add the butter and stir until combined. Add the chops back to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Transfer to plates, pouring any leftover sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with the lime zest and additional shichimi togarashi, if you’d like.

Note: You can find shichimi (sometimes labeled nanami) togarashi at Asian grocery stores or buy it online. But to make your own, stir together ½ teaspoon ground cayenne, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds (black or white, or both), plus a couple grinds of black pepper. You could also include a pinch of sumac for sourness, a fleck of crushed dried seaweed for savoriness and a dash of poppy seeds for sweet nuttiness. These aren’t traditional ingredients by any means, but they get you close when you’re in a pinch.