Thit Heo Nuong Xa (Vietnamese Lemon Grass Pork Chops)

I love lemon grass. It's lemony, zingy but doesn't quite have the tartness of a lemon. Chop it up, toss into a food processor with a few other ingredients and you have the best BBQ marinade ever. Perfect for your summer cookouts!

The first time I made my Lemon Grass Pork Chops, I almost set my kitchen on fire! I attempted to grill them over an open charcoal stove indoor, inside my mere 1208 sq ft apartment! The closet-sized kitchen was smoking like a chimney! Sparks were flying everywhere!

What was I thinking? Hubby rushed into the kitchen and doused the stove with water. Needless to say, the chops were ruined!

The cleaning up was a nightmare. There was soot everywhere.

I wised up after that incident and learned that firing up the grill indoor really isn't  an option.

I now broil my chops in the oven instead. I don't get that coveted smoky flavour but  the chops still taste amazing.

Thit Heo Nuong Xa (Vietnamese Lemon Grass Pork Chops)

Ingredients
5pcs thin-cut pork chops, preferably blade end, with plenty of fat and marbling

Ingredients A
3 stalks lemon grass, sliced
1 tbsp sliced shallots
1 tbsp chopped garlic

Ingredients B
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp fish sauce
2-3 tbsp sugar
ground pepper

Directions

1. Place Ingredients A in a food processor. Blend to a fine paste.
2. Combine the paste with Ingredients B and mix well to form the marinade.
3. Marinate the chops for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Grill/broil/pan fry  the pork chops.

Enjoy!