Vietnamese-Style Pork
- 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce), or to taste (you may substitute soy sauce)
- 2 limes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds country-style pork chops, preferably boneless
- Chopped Thai basil, mint, cilantro, or a combination, optional
Instructions:
This dish has the beguiling, distinctively Southeast Asian aroma of garlic—lots of it—nuoc mam (the Vietnamese fish sauce known more commonly by its Thai name, nam pla), and lime.
- Combine the lemongrass, garlic, honey, and nam pla in a bowl; whisk to blend. Add the juice of 1 lime and lots of pepper—about a teaspoon. Marinate the pork in this mixture while you start a charcoal or wood fire, preheat a gas grill to the maximum, or preheat a broiler; the fire should be moderately hot, and the grill rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source.
- Grill or broil the pork, spooning the marinade over it as it cooks, until done, about 10 minutes. Turn only once, so that each side browns nicely. Serve with wedges of lime, garnished with the optional herb.