Baked Chinese Style Pork Steaks with Carrots

Baked Chinese Style Pork Steaks with Carrots

My husband works at a Chinese Bible camp in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.  We live right on a very large lake with 80 acres of woodlands all around us.  Most of the time it's just my family and a few other full time staff on the property, but several times a year, we have camp.  It's so much fun having the property filled with people, and, as an additional benefit, we get to eat in the dining hall.  The folks who work in the kitchen serve up some very delicious, usually simple Chinese food.  This recipe is a take on one of the pork dishes they serve up at camp.  It's frugal, too, because they gave us a whole lot of carrots after the last camp.

Baked Chinese Style Pork Steaks with Carrots (Carrots optional!)
Makes 6 servings

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

Cut approximately 3 pounds pork steaks into six serving portions.  Place them into a large baking pan with sides.  Season both sides with Adobo or Everything seasoning (seasoned salt) and lemon pepper.  Allow them to rest for 20 minutes up to about an hour.

Cut up 2 very large carrots and place them over the steaks, (optional or other veggies could be used.)  Add water just to the tops of the steaks -- about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.*

Mix together the sauce:

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or coconut sugar** (coconut sugar for low carb)
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce**
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dried chives or 3 tablespoons fresh

Pour the sauce over the meat and the carrots.  Cover the pan with foil and place it into the oven at 375F for about 45 minutes.  At the end of that time, uncover the dish and bake it for an additional 15 minutes.

(Optional:  If a thickened sauce is desired, remove the meat and carrots to a serving dish.  Pour the broth into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water and mix it well.  Pour the cornstarch slurry into the broth and stir it until it thickens.  Note:  This is not how our Chinese friends serve their sauces -- it is an American adaptation.)

Serve the meat, carrots and broth over Jasmine rice, if desired, (but not for low carb.)

Enjoy!

*Note:  I made this without the extra water and baked it in a turkey roaster.  It turned out even more amazing than the original version.  Use the original version if you want gravy.  If not, leave out the water.
**For SCD, omit the coconut sugar and soy sauce, instead use 1/4 cup lemon juice and 3 tablespoons honey