Packed full of flavors with a pinch of sweet, these Asian inspired pork chops will be a tasty addition to any dinner.
I found this recipe in an old cookbook and adapted it to the keto diet. I wasn’t as pleased with it as I could have been – I think it could gain some nice flavor and sweetness from adding ginger. If I ever do that, I will update this recipe for you all.
I paired it up with a “sweet and hot” sauce made from Sambal chili paste and some sugar free ketchup. I also added in some mashed cauliflower to make it a meal. Let me know what you think!
This recipe was adapted from Skinnytaste.
The Preparation
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 medium star anise
- 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar free ketchup
- ½ tablespoon sambal chili paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon five spice
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
The Execution
1. Place the pork chops on a flat work surface and using a rolling pin wrapped in wax paper, pound to 1/2-inch thick.
2. Half your garlic cloves and keep them to the side.
2. Grind the peppercorns and star anise to a fine powder in a blender or using a mortar and pestle. Add the lemongrass and garlic, and pound or blend until a puree forms. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder and mix well.
3. Put the pork chops on a tray, add the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
4. Heat a pan to high and lightly coat your pork chops with almond flour.
5. Add the chops to the pan and let them sear on both sides, turning once. This should take about 2 minutes on each side, until a golden brown crust is formed.
6. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each chop into several strips.
7. To create a sauce, stir together the Sambal chili paste and sugar free ketchup. Easy and delicious!
8. Serve with Crisp Garlic Parmesan Green Beans or Low Carb Mashed Potatoes.
This will serve 4 people, so per person the macros are 327.37 Calories, 15.58g Fats, 41.3g Protein and 2.72g Net Carbs.
| Asian Inspired Keto Pork Chops | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 4 boneless (740 g) pork chops | 1147 | 51.36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159.47 |
| 1 medium star anise | 23 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 1 | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and diced | 2 | 0.01 | 0.61 | 0 | 0.61 | 0.04 |
| 4 cloves garlic | 18 | 0.06 | 3.97 | 0.3 | 3.67 | 0.76 |
| 1 tablespoon fish sauce | 6 | 0 | 0.66 | 0 | 0.66 | 0.91 |
| 1 tablespoon almond flour | 40 | 3.47 | 1.49 | 0.7 | 0.79 | 1.49 |
| ½ tablespoon sugar free ketchup | 4.6 | 0.03 | 1.02 | 0.21 | 0.81 | 0.26 |
| ½ tablespoon sambal chili paste | 17.88 | 1.55 | 1.12 | 0.28 | 0.84 | 0.19 |
| 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce | 4 | 0.05 | 0.39 | 0.1 | 0.29 | 0.65 |
| 1 teaspoon sesame oil | 40 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ½ teaspoon five spice | 3 | 0.14 | 0.69 | 0.4 | 0.29 | 0.06 |
| ½ teaspoon peppercorns | 4 | 0.05 | 0.93 | 0.4 | 0.53 | 0.15 |
| Totals | 1309.48 | 62.32 | 14.28 | 3.39 | 10.89 | 165.18 |
| Per Serving(/4) | 327.37 | 15.58 | 3.57 | 0.85 | 2.72 | 41.3 |
Asian Inspired Keto Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 medium star anise
- 1 stalk lemongrass peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic halved
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar free ketchup
- ½ tablespoon sambal chili paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon five spice
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
Instructions
- Place your pork chops on a flat surface and pound to ½ inch thick
- Halve your garlic cloves and set aside
- Grind the peppercorns and star anise to a fine powder in a blender or using a mortar and pestle.
- Add the lemongrass and garlic and pound or blend until a puree forms. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and five spice powder and mix well.
- Put the pork chops in a tray, add the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate at room temp for 1-2 hours.
- Heat a pan to high and lightly coat your pork chops with almond flour.
- Add the chops to the pan and sear them on both side, turning once. About two minutes per side.
- Transfer to a cutting board and cut each pork chop into several strips.
- To create a sauce, stir together the Sambal chili paste and sugar-free ketchup – easy and delicious!
