Charred and Saucy Pork Chops
Serves 4.
Note: This popular street food can be found at broken rice stalls in Vietnam, surrounded by lines of hungry office workers at lunchtime. Pounding the pork chops at the beginning ensures they are tender and juicy, so make sure you don't skip this step. From "Jeremy Pang's School of Wok," by Jeremy Pang (Hamlyn, 2022).
For the marinade:
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
For the pork chops:
• 4 pork chops
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• Steamed rice, to serve
For the glaze:
• 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. tamarind concentrate or juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 3 to 4 tbsp. water
For the garnish:
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Finely sliced red onion
• Handful of cilantro leaves
Directions
Prepare the marinade: In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic, lemongrass, Chinese five-spice powder, sugar, salt, oyster sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce.
Using the back of your cleaver or knife, or a meat mallet, bash the pork chops to tenderize the meat, flattening each chop for maximum marinade absorption. Put the chops into the mixing bowl with the marinade ingredients and massage well.
Prepare the glaze: In a separate bowl, mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce, tamarind concentrate (or lime juice), honey and water.
Prepare the meat: Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Place the pork chops on a grill rack or roasting tray and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once and charring well. Once well-charred on both sides and roughly 80% cooked, remove the chops from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in your wok to a high heat, add the sliced red onion and stir-fry for 30 to 60 seconds. Bring up to smoking point, then pour in the glaze and bring to a vigorous boil. Once bubbling rapidly, place the chops into the sauce and baste the sauce all over the meat until the chops are fully coated and no sauce remains on the bottom of the wok. Serve with steamed rice, garnished with lime wedges, sliced red onion and cilantro leaves.
