Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops recipe

Besides the weather, do you know what else I miss about California? Asian food/restaurants/stores! I used to eat at this Vietnamese restaurant and I ordered the same thing every time! Ok, there was one time that I picked up a pho to-go because it was a chilly night at work. Anyways, there isn't a Vietnamese restaurant around here where we live at right now and I was craving that pork chop so I made my own. Oh, how I wish I had do chua, slices of tomatoes and cucumber, some soup, and that fish sauce vinaigrette.. that would have completed my Vietnamese meal at home! I also wish I had grilled the pork chops over open flame like at the restaurant.

Printable Recipe

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops

ingredients:
• 4 ribeye center cut pork chops, thin sliced & bone-in
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 Fresno chili pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lemongrass
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (Dynasty)
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil such as canola)
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tbsp water

instructions:
1)  Put the pork chops in a zip top bag and set aside.
2)  To prepare the lemongrass, cut off the root end and the green tops. Remove the outer layers (usually 2) until you get a nice tube. Using a mallet (or something similar) whack the tube a few times to loosen up the fibers, then finely chop.
3)  In a food processor, add shallot, Fresno chili, garlic, and lemongrass; process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides in between. Transfer to a bowl.
4)  In the same bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour this marinade over the pork chops and massage it into the meat. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can then seal it. Set the bag on a plate and let marinate in the fridge overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
5)  Take the bag out of the fridge to let the pork come to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
6)  Place a grill pan over medium heat. At the first sight of smoke, add 2 pork chops in the pan making sure they are not touching each other. Grill for 3 minutes, undisturbed. Flip the pork chops and grill the other side for 2 minutes, undisturbed. Repeat grilling process for the rest of the pork chops.
7)  Serve with rice and do chua (pickled daikon and carrots). Enjoy!

Caramelized Onions recipe

Caramelized onions are so versatile! You see them in burgers, on top of meats, in omelettes! Some cook the onions low and slow for a long time, but not me. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" only because we weren't having anything special for dinner that night I made this. We only had hotdogs, as seen in the pictures below hehe!

Printable Recipe

Caramelized Onions

ingredients:
• 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp hot pepperoncini juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

instructions:
1)  Heat butter and oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sugar, toss to coat the onions with butter and oil. Spread the onions in an even layer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and spreading the onions in an even layer every time.
2)  After 20 minutes of cooking, add the rest of the ingredients; stir and spread the onions in an even layer once again. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
3)  Serve with steaks, as an ingredient in braising, or as a sandwich topping. Serve it however you like!

Pictured:
○ Potato buns, grilled Nathan's Hot Dogs, caramelized onions, and sliced hot pepperoncinis.