Sweet and Tangy Soy Sauce Marinade for Pork Chops, Plus

adapted by Gay Griffin July 3, 2015, from the June, 2015 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

I marinated thin pork chops in a double batch of this overnight, then layered them in a slow cooker with shredded cabbage, sliced onion and colored peppers. Poured the marinade on top. About three hours on high, and we had a tasty dinner!

4  6 to 7 oz. bone-in pork chops (I used more, thin ones for more flavor penetration)

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
6 T. lime juice (Now I use True Lime Powder. I don’t think the amount of maltodextrin is enough to matter much. I got tired of throwing away unused limes.)
¼ c. sugar equivalent sweetener (I have used Splenda and stevia drops)
2 T. flavorless oil of your choice
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1.5 – 2 T.. grated fresh ginger
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Pour over pork chops. A zip type plastic bag works well. Let them marinate at least 20 minutes. (I’d marinate them a lot longer than that, especially if using thicker chops.)  

Cook the chops however you like. 

Beef or Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:

1.5-2 lbs skirt steak or other beef or chicken easily cut into strips

1 medium onion, sliced, or 15 medium scallions (green onions) - same amount of carb!

2 large Bell peppers, sliced - two different colors is nice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice (or reconstituted True Lime powder)

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 Tablespoons oil

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

PREPARATION:

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, and oil. If grilling, save a couple of Tablespoons aside to toss with the vegetables.

Slice the meat into about 1/2 inch slices. If using skirt steak, flank steak, or other meat with an obvious grain (lines through the meat), be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain, or you will be chewing a very long time. (Think about it - you want to create a lot of short fibers, not a few long ones.) 

If cooking in a skillet, marinate everything together in a bowl or plastic bag (a zip-type works well). If grilling, marinate the meat and veggies separately. Even a few minutes helps, up to 2 hours is great.

If grilling, remove from marinade and grill.

For cooking in a skillet (preferably regular, not nonstick), cook the meat first (it will probably take two batches, depending upon your pan). Add a little oil to the skillet and get it very hot (the oil will shimmer). If you don't get it hot enough (or crowd too much meat in), the meat will steam instead of browning. When the meat is browned, remove and add veggies. When they begin to soften, return meat to skillet to heat through.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro (if desired) and guacamole. If low-carb tortillas are available, that is a nice addition, but a fork works fine.

Serves 5

Nutritional Information: Meat and vegetables, with 1.5 pound skirt steak and green onions, make 5 servings, each with 4.5 grams of effective carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber (6.5 grams total carbohydrate), 28 grams of protein, and 307 calories per serving.

The marinade could add as much as 1 gram of carb (the whole recipe has 5 grams), but obviously most of it doesn't make it to the table.

From: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/maindishes/r/beeffajitas.htm