Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops

Tags

food, grilled, lemongrass, meat, pork chops, summer, Vietnamese

Prior to this recipe, I had never used lemongrass. It smelled like Pledge to me. But this recipe drew my attention. It was so simple and tasty. I made sure to leave a bit of the marinade pulp on the chops. It browned and caramelized very nicely and added an extra pop of flavor. MMMM!!! You will love this recipe!

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops (adapted from Viet World Kitchen)

• 4 pork chops, bone-in, about 1 inch thick
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp garlic
• 3 tbsp shallot
• 1 1/2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Using a mini food processor, pulse the sugar, garlic, shallot, and lemongrass to a mince-like texture. Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil, and process to combine well.

Place the pork chops in a large zip-lock bag, and pour the marinade to coat. Squish the marinade around to coat the pork chops evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24 hours. Allow the pork chops to rest at room temperature, about 30-45 minutes, before grilling. Grill over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Tags

beverage, coffee, drink, iced, pumpkin, spice, Vietnamese

I am usually a coffee purist; coffee should be strong and black, no cream or sugar. When I read this recipe by Food + Word, my curiosity was aroused. I have previously enjoyed Vietnamese coffee and do like the idea of pumpkin spice syrup. Plus, I know plenty of coffee freaks at work who would like this syrup if it turned out I did not. Sadly for them, I love it!

Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee (from Food + Word)

• 6 oz freshly brewed coffee, chilled
• 1 oz pumpkin spice syrup
• 4 oz whipping cream (for a lower calorie option, use half 1% milk and half of the cream)
• 1 oz sweetened condensed milk

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the chilled coffee, pumpkin spice syrup, cream and sweetened condensed milk into the glass, and stir well to combine.