Persimmon-Black Garlic Pork Chops with Miso-Pepita Crunch & Shiso-Citrus Salad
January is peak citrus season, and in a lot of places it’s also the last sweet wave of Fuyu persimmons. I love what happens when that honeyed fruit hits a ripping-hot pan: it goes from cute and snacky to glossy and serious—like a natural teriyaki.
The inspiration for this dish came from a mashup brain moment I had after cooking in Mexico and Peru: fruit + savory + smoke is basically a universal language. Persimmon behaves like a mellow mango, black garlic brings that deep molasses funk, and miso ties it together into something almost mole-like—without needing a dozen ingredients.
My memory with this one is Tokyo winters: grabbing citrus from a market stall, then coming home to something sizzling in a pan. This recipe feels like that, but with my pantry now—ferments, miso, and whatever I’ve got pickling in the corner.
Why this works: persimmon’s sugars lacquer fast, black garlic adds roasted alliums without harsh bite, and toasted pepitas give you a furikake-style crunch that cuts the richness.
Make it yours: swap pepitas for sesame + crushed tortilla chips, add a pinch of gochugaru, or finish with lime zest and a splash of fish sauce if you like things loud.
Featured Recipe
Persimmon-Black Garlic Pork Chops with Miso-Pepita Crunch & Shiso-Citrus Salad
January is peak season for citrus and (in many places) the last sweet wave of Fuyu persimmons—and I love how their honeyed fruitiness turns into a lacquer when it hits a hot pan. I pair that glaze with black garlic and miso for a deep, almost mole-like umami, then finish with a toasted pepita “furikake” and a bright shiso-citrus salad to keep everything snappy and alive.
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Ingredients
- 2 Bone-in pork chops (1 to 1¼-inch thick)(About 10–12 oz each)
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(Plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Neutral oil (grapeseed/canola)
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter(For basting (optional but recommended))
- 1 Garlic clove(Smashed)
- 10 g Fresh ginger(Sliced)
- 1 Fuyu persimmon(Ripe but firm; grated on a microplane or fine grater)
- 3 Black garlic cloves(Mashed into a paste (or use 1½ tsp black garlic paste))
- 1 tbsp White or yellow miso
- 2 tsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Soy sauce(Optional; use if you want it saltier/darker)
- 1 tsp Honey(Optional; only if persimmon isn’t very sweet)
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)(Raw or roasted)
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Nori sheet(Torn into pieces or snipped; optional but great)
- 1/2 tsp Shichimi togarashi(Or crushed red pepper)
- 2 Satsuma/mandarin (or blood orange)(Segmented; reserve juices)
- 1/2 Lemon(Juice only)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 8 Shiso leaves(Thinly sliced; substitute mint + a little basil)
- 4 Radish(Small; thinly sliced (watermelon radish is gorgeous if you’ve got it))
- 1 Scallion(Thinly sliced)
Instructions
- 1
Dry-brine the pork: Pat 2 Bone-in pork chops (1 to 1-1/4-inch thick) dry and season all over with 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper. Set on a rack or plate and chill uncovered for at least 45 minutes (and up to overnight).
45 min
Tip: Uncovered chilling dries the surface so you brown faster. If you’re in a rush, do 20 minutes at room temp and blot again before searing.
- 2
Make the persimmon–black garlic glaze: In a small bowl, mix 1 Fuyu persimmon, 3 Black garlic cloves, 1 tbsp White or yellow miso, 2 tsp Rice vinegar, and (if using) 1 tsp Soy sauce and 1 tsp Honey. It should look like a thick BBQ sauce.
5 min
Tip: Grating persimmon is my cheat code: you get maximum sweetness and pectin (natural thickener) without chunks that burn.
- 3
Toast the miso-pepita crunch: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 1/3 cup Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) until they start popping and browning, 3–4 minutes. Add 1 tsp Sesame oil, 2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp Shichimi togarashi, and 1 Nori sheet; toss 30 seconds. Scrape out and let cool, then roughly crush with a knife or mortar. (If you want it extra funky: stir in 1 tbsp White or yellow miso while the pan is off heat.)
6 min
Tip: Pepitas + nori is my ‘Mexico meets Japanese snack bar’ moment. Crushing gives you that furikake vibe: some powder, some nuggets.
- 4
Sear the pork: Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high. Add 1 1/2 tbsp Neutral oil (grapeseed/canola). Sear 2 Bone-in pork chops (1 to 1-1/4-inch thick) until deeply browned, 3–4 minutes per side. If using, add 1 tbsp Unsalted butter, 1 Garlic clove, and 10 g Fresh ginger; baste for 30–60 seconds.
9 min
Tip: Don’t move the chops for the first 2–3 minutes—browning is a contact sport.
- 5
Glaze and finish: Reduce heat to medium-low. Spoon and brush glaze over the top of each chop, flip, glaze the other side. Cook, flipping and glazing once more, until the thickest part hits 135–140°F (57–60°C). Rest 5–8 minutes; carryover will take it to ~145°F/63°C.
6 min
Tip: Low heat here prevents the persimmon sugars from burning while the miso and black garlic caramelize into a glossy lacquer.
- 6
Make the shiso-citrus salad: In a bowl, whisk reserved 2 Satsuma/mandarin (or blood orange) juice + 1/2 Lemon juice with 1 tbsp Olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add 2 Satsuma/mandarin (or blood orange) segments, 4 Radish, 1 Scallion, and 8 Shiso leaves; toss gently.
5 min
Tip: Shiso is the ‘green highlighter’ flavor: it makes the glaze taste deeper by contrast.
- 7
Serve: Slice pork off the bone (or serve whole). Spoon any pan glaze over the meat. Shower with miso-pepita crunch. Serve with the shiso-citrus salad on the side (or piled right on top if you like chaos).
3 min
Tip: If you want a starch: steamed rice, roasted sweet potato wedges, or warm tortillas all work—choose your own adventure.
Chef's Notes
Why this works (my nerdy bit): Persimmon is loaded with sugars and pectin, so when you grate it and combine it with miso, you get a naturally thick glaze that clings like a lacquer—no cornstarch, no reduction marathon. Black garlic brings deep sweet-savory notes (think balsamic + tamarind) that echo the caramelization you’d chase in a proper mole, while miso supplies glutamates that make pork taste porkier. Dry-brining sets you up for a better crust and juicier interior. The pepita crunch is doing triple duty: texture, toasty aroma, and a slightly bitter edge (from nori + sesame) that keeps the glaze from reading as ‘sweet sauce.’ The shiso-citrus salad is your reset button—acid and herbal lift so each bite tastes new.
Kenji Nakamura
Where Japanese precision meets global flavors
I trained in Tokyo for eight years, mastering the discipline of washoku—traditional Japanese cuisine. But I got restless. So I cooked my way through Southeast Asia, spent a year in Mexico City, and fell hard for the food of Peru. Now I see connections between cuisines that others miss: the umami in dashi and fish sauce, the heat in shishito and Szechuan peppercorns, the way Japanese technique can unlock flavors from any tradition. I'm always fermenting something.