Pork Chop Musubi

This Pork Chop Musubi is a spin-off of the traditional Hawaiian Spam Musubi.

Ingredients

• 3 sheets of Nori (dried seaweed)
• 2 Cups of plain white rice (Jasmine works fine)
• 1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce
• 2 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 6 Porkchops (boneless)
• 6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese

Optional Ingredients

• Rice Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Sesame seeds
• Olive Oil

Directions

The Rice

1. Put the 2 Cups of rice into a saucepan and fill with water until about 1/2 inch above the level of the rice. Feel free to add any flavoring elements you would like here as well. I added 1 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar and 1 TBSP of Olive Oil. Let this sit for about 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, replace water to a level about 1 inch above the rice and heat to boiling. Continue cooking until the water has almost completely boiled off. Be careful that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
3. Add any further flavorings here. I prefer sesame seeds and balsamic vinegar to taste, but rice vinegar is highly recommended as well!

The Pork

1. Stir the 1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce and 1/4 Cup of brown sugar together in a bowl until fully mixed.
2. Marinate the pork chops in the mixture for 5-10 minutes.
3. Place a small amount of olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the pork chops. Turn to high heat and place JUST the pork chops in the skillet for about 30 seconds on each side.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and pour the marinade onto the pork chops. Cook until done-about ten minutes depending on your stove. Just be sure not to turn the burner on too high as you can caramelize the marinade.

Put It All Together

1. Take the nori seaweed sheets and break them (or cut them) into quarters lengthwise.
2. Lay out two of these strips end to end lengthwise, with about a 1 inch overlap
3. Place one of the porkchops right on the overlapping seaweed
4. Place rice on top of the pork chop. At this point the rice should be sticky, so keep a glass of water nearby to moisten your hands. Build the rice up to the shape of the pork chop and whatever size you want. I build mine about 1 inch high.
5. Take the ends of the seaweed and wrap them around the pork chop and rice. If the seaweed won't bend, moisten it with a little bit of water.
6. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on top
7. Place in the oven at 350 F for about 7 minutes or until cheese has melted.
8. OPTIONAL: You can leave the musubi in the oven longer to dry out the seaweed if you don't want it to be quite as chewy.