Pork Chops with Lemongrass (Vietnamese style)

Before moving to Australia, I seldom have had any chances to try Vietnamese foods. Luckily, we have many gorgeous Vietnamese restaurants that provide authentic Vietnamese cuisine here in Australia. One of their famous dishes, Pork Chops with Lemongrass(香茅豬扒)is my daughter's favorite. Vietnamese people love blending many spices and herbs together to cook unique tasty foods. Fish Sauce is very commonly used, that brings up the flavor of pork chops. If you dine in any Vietnamese restaurants, you must try and don’t miss it. Maybe you can cook for yourself at home. This is a great recipe with lots of Asian flavor that you won’t be disappointed for sure. For best results, use thin pork chops to pan fry.

Ingredients:

• 4 thin pork chops, about 350g
• a spring of lemongrass, pressed and minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, sliced
• some diced chili and spring onion
• peppermint for decoration

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon light soya sauce
• 1/3 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 salt
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon corn flour

Seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon spicy fish sauce
• 2/3 teaspoon sugar
• a dash of sesame oil
• a few shakes of pepper

Method:

1. Rinse and dry pork chops, tenderize them briefly with the back of a chopper and blend in marinade, sprinkle minced lemongrass and leave them for 45 minutes to 1 hour, then fry marinated pork chops till done and golden.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil to sauté garlic and shallot, put in pork chops and fry briefly. Pour in seasoning mixture; sprinkle diced chili and spring onion, stir well. Dish up and garnish with peppermint. Serve hot.