Pork Chop with Lemongrass
MEDIUM 45 MINUTES
• 3 pieces of pork chop (perfer with a little fat)
• 4 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 sticks of lemongrass (thick ones are more fragrant)
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1½ tbsp brown sugar
• Cornstarch water — mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 3 red hot chilli pepper
• 1½ tbsp chopped garlic
• 1½ tbsp sugar
1 Clean and rinse pork chops, drain well and dry with kitchen paper towel.
2 Rinse lemongrass, cut off the roots. Peel off the outer layer that’s dry and dark in color. Smash lemongrass to release its favor. Cut into 3 sections.
3 Remove skin of shallots and garlic, crush and cut into small pieces.
4 Tenderise pork chops. Cut into smaller pieces, put in a bowl. Add 1½ tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp black pepper and 1½ tbsp brown sugar. Mix cornstarch mixture well. Gradually add mixture to the meat, stir well. (This will give a silky texture to the meat) Massage meat with the marinade until it is absorbed well. Add lemongrass, shallot and garlic. Mix well. Marinade meat for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
5 Make lime juice — roll the lime back & forth until the skin has softened slightly. This will help to release its juice. Cut in half, squeeze out the juice in a bowl.
6 Make dipping sauce -- combine 4 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp water, 3 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp lime juice, 3 red hot chilli pepper, 1½ tbsp chopped garlic, 1½ tbsp sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Ensure the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust if needed. Allow it to infuse for a while, this will enhance the flavor more.
7 Pickle the cucumbers -- on a clean chopping board, cut cucumber and small red pepper in halves, remove seeds. Then cut diagonally into smaller pieces. Place in a bowl. Add 4 tbsp dipping sauce to marinate for 30 minutes.
8 Pan fry pork chop — remove all aromatics before pan frying. Add 3 tbsp oil into a pan. Wait for oil to get hot (To test if the oil is hot — place a wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see small bubbles then the oil is hot enough). Carefully place pork chop into hot oil. Turn heat to medium, pan fry for 4 minutes then turn pork chop over. Cook for 3 minutes more.
9 Place pork chop on a plate when both sides are cooked. Serve with dipping sauce and pickled cucumber and red pepper.