This is a quick and easy recipe from one of our back issues of Gourmet that we’ve enjoyed regularly. You can add chopped cucumber and bump up the sauce with sweet chili sauce and additional rice vinegar if you want.
Active time: 20 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Total time: 20 min
- 6 (1/4-inch-thick) boneless pork loin chops
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (we use black bean sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pound chops between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until less than 1/8 inch thick. Make several small 1/4-inch-deep slits around edge of each chop to prevent curling, then halve chops lengthwise and transfer to a bowl.
Cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar is melted into a golden caramel. Add shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt (caramel will harden) and cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is dissolved and shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pork and toss until well coated.
Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then grill pork in batches, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. (Discard any remaining caramel sauce.)
Serve over rice noodles or rice.
Enjoy!
