Thai Lemon Grass Pork Chops with Dipping Sauce

The beauty of this recipe is that you get an amazing amazing amazing taste, but you only have to marinade for ten minutes!  Another great thing is that, because the dipping sauce is served in small separate bowls, you can make it (and your pork chops) as hot as you want without hurting the kids.  Unless, of course, they've really been annoying you lately and you want to hurt them . . ..  

Not that I'm suggesting that, mind you.

These can be grilled or cooked under the broiler.  The recipe comes from Thailand:  The Beautiful Cookbook, and like most recipes from that book, I haven't changed it a bit.  

Thai Lemon Grass Pork Chops with Dipping Sauce

Marinade Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoons white pepper

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon cognac or whiskey or white wine

2 Tablespoons chopped lemon grass

1 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion

2 Tablespoons coconut milk

5-6 bone in pork chops, about 1-1.25 lbs total

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

1/4 cup fish sauce

5 Tablespoons lime juice

1 pinch (or more, if you like) dried red chili pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro

1.  Mix all the marinade ingredients together thoroughly. 
2. Add pork chops and make sure they're well coated.  Allow to sit for at least ten minutes.
3. Mix together dipping sauce ingredients. 
4. Broil or grill the meat for about 8 minutes on each side or until done. 
5. Serve.  

Family Ratings: 

Will, who kind of digs pork:  10

Lucy, who kind of digs everything except for fish and tomatoes:  10

Jamie, who insists he wants the dipping sauce even when he really doesn't:  10

Ellen, who occasionally grudgingly admits that there are some benefits to being married to me:  10

Paul, who sort of enjoys being who he is, especially when he's eating these pork chops:  10