Vietnamese Pork Chops (Sườn Nướng)

A recipe I had at mom's restaurant as a kid all the time. This is a quintessential Vietnamese rice dish with flavor-packed grilled pork. Easy to make even in batches and a crowd favorite!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 lb pork chops (about 6 chops)
• kosher salt (for scrubbing)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• 4 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 6 Tbsp minced lemongrass
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• white rice
• 1 sliced tomato
• 1 sliced Persian cucumber
• 6 leaves green leaf lettuce
• 3 Tbsp scallion & oil (mỡ hành)
• 3 Tbsp dipping fish sauce (nước chấm)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Rinse 2 lb pork chops under running water and lightly scrub with some kosher salt. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. 2Combine all Marinade ingredients in a medium mixing bowl: 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp monosodium glutamate (MSG), 4 Tbsp neutral cooking oil. Stir to combine until sugar and MSG are fully dissolved.
3. 3Then add the Aromatics to the bowl: 6 Tbsp minced lemongrass, 2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves), 2 Tbsp minced shallots.
4. 4Marinade the pork chops in a bowl or bag in the fridge for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight.
5. 5Before cooking, remove pork chops from the fridge for about an hour. Remove chops from the marinade and discard the extra liquid--you can keep the aromatics on that stick to the chops though.
6. 6--- Cooking ---
7. 7Grill on a BBQ, giving at least 1-2 inches spacing between each chop. Sear on high heat for browning or grill marks for a few minutes, then lower to medium heat and cook on both sides, flipping often until cooked all the way through. When done, the pork should read at least 145 °F using an instant read thermometer at the thickest part of the cut.
8. 8Pan fry: 1-2 chops at a time on medium to medium high heat without crowding the pan. When done, the pork should read at least 145 °F using an instant read thermometer at the thickest part of the cut.
9. 9In the oven: Bake at 375 °F for 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat hits around 135 °F. Lower the rack and broil, flipping a few times during broiling, to get nice coloring on both sides. Again, the pork is done when the internal temp reaches 145 °F.
10. 10Serve with white rice and all the Veggies & Garnish.