Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops - a simple Vietnamese-style marinade with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, sugar, and fish sauce adds so much flavor to pork chops that grills in minutes!
1/2teaspoonchili garlic sauceor more, to taste (optional)
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Instructions
Marinate the pork:
Place the shallot, lemongrass, garlic, brown sugar, and peppercorns in a heavy mortar and pestle. Mash until the mixture is about the consistency of a chunky paste. This can also be done in a small food processor if you prefer. Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce.
Place the marinade and pork chops into a resealable bag or covered glass container, and transfer to the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 6 hours, or ideally, overnight, flipping periodically.
Make the Nuoc Cham:
In a small bowl, combine the water, sugar, and lime juice, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Adjust to taste for balance. Stir in the fish sauce, garlic and chili garlic sauce, if using. Adjust to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Grill the Pork:
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Brush the pork chops with olive oil on both sides. Place the chops on the grill over high heat, cover, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the pork chops are fully cooked with an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove the pork chops off the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Slice and serve the grilled pork chops over rice or rice noodles, with fresh vegetables and the Nuoc Cham sauce.