Vietnamese Caramelized Grilled Pork
Tender, thin-sliced pork loin chops grilled to perfection with a sweet and savory caramel sauce made from sugar, shallots, lime juice, and fish sauce. A classic Vietnamese dish that combines sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.
Ingredients
- •6 pieces boneless pork loin chops
- •⅓ cup sugar
- •¼ cup shallots
- •1 tablespoon lime juice
- •1 tablespoon fish sauce
- •½ teaspoon salt
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
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.
10 min
- 2.
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.
8 min
- 3.
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.)
6 min
