Sesame Coated Pork with Apricot Sauce
This Sesame Coated Pork with Apricot Sauce recipe is a weeknight dinner for the books. Use sesame seeds as an upgrade to breadcrumbs for crunch and a nutty flavour. The umami-rich apricot sauce and gingery spinach add a delicious fusion twist to your plate. Round things out with fluffy rice. Or, for a lighter take, serve the pork with sliced cucumbers spritzed with rice vinegar and a drizzle of sesame oil. The only tools you'll need for the job are The Pan, measuring cups/spoons, and something to stir with that won't scratch the nonstick layer of the pan.
Servings: 4
Total Time: 35 minutes. 5 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to cook.
What you’ll need to make the dish:
- 1 cup short-grain white rice
- ½ cup dried apricots (3 1/2 oz.), finely chopped
- ¼ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 boneless pork loin chops (about 1/2 in. thick) (4 oz. each)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup sesame seeds (black and/or toasted white sesame seeds)
- 2 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (from a 1-in. piece)
- 20 ounces of fresh spinach
How to prepare the dish:
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Place apricots in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water, tamari, and honey. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Pat pork chops dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Working with 1 pork chop at a time, dredge in sesame seeds, pressing firmly to adhere.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. Add pork; cook until seeds are golden and pork is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a towel-lined plate.
- Wipe skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add spinach in batches; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Serve rice with pork chops and spinach. Spoon sauce over pork.
Check out last Week's Recipe of the Week: Lemon Garlic Chicken