Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops

Every chef has a signature dish or something she is known for knockin’ out of the park . . . this, my friends, is mine J  I’ve been accused of lacing these bad boys with crack!  Harharhar!  This is a really easy recipe that involves a few of those Asian essential ingredients that I love to cook with:  nuoc mam, oyster flavor sauce, garlic powder, white pepper and onion powder!

BUY:

• 8-10 thin pork chops with bone-in
• Minced garlic – 1-2 tsp
• Oyster flavor sauce  - 1-2 tbsp
• White pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (1/2 tsp each)
• Cayenne pepper – a few sprinkles
• Sesame Oil – 2-3 drops
• Fish sauce (nuoc mam) – 3 tbsp
• Red pepper flakes – 1 tbsp

PREP:

In a large ziploc bag, place all of the ingredients.  Add the pork chops to the marinade.  Leave in fridge for at least an hour before cooking.

I like to serve these chops with jasmine rice and a cucumber, tomato, onion salad.  You can make this and leave in fridge to cool until you’re ready to serve supper!

Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad:  Dice one red onion, a few roma tomatoes, and one large cucumber into ¼ inch size cubes, set aside.

Dressing for the salad:  In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of sugar, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, ½ tbsp. of crushed black pepper, and 2-3 splashes of olive oil.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.

**Don’t pour the dressing over the salad until ready to serve, it will make everything soggy.  When ready, toss the salad in the dressing and add fried onions and a couple of tears of a cilantro bunch to finish.

CUC:

I use a gas grill . . . don’t be disappointed, I hope my next grill can be both a gas and charcoal master!  Gas is good because it heats up quickly and can be controlled with more precision.

I normally start the grill on high, use a half of an onion on end of a barbecue fork to clean the grill and then reduce heat to 375-400 degrees.  Place chops on the grill and close the top.  **The thickness of your chops will determine the cooking time.  I usually use thin chops, so cooking will be rather quick, about 10 mins (5 mins on each side).

Remove chops from the grill when finished, remember to turn off the gas valve.

Plate with a serving of jasmine rice and cucumber tomato salad.

My mouth is watering already!!!  Hope you enjoy it!