Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade

Preparation 1. In a bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, chile, and black pepper and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the pork chops in a rimmed dish in a single layer. Pour the marinade over, cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. (The pork can also be refrigerated overnight. Bring meat to room temperature before grilling). 2. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill (you should be able to hold your hand 1 to 2 inches above the grate for only 2 to 3 seconds). When the coals are ready, push two-thirds of the coals to one-half of the grill, creating a hot zone; spread the remaining one-third on the opposite side of the grill to create a cooler zone. 3. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chops on the hottest part of the grill. Let cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute on the second side. 4. Move the chops to the cooler side of the grill and cook, turning once, for about 10 minutes total, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop registers 140°F, raking over coals from the hotter side of the grill if necessary to maintain an even temperature. Spritz any flare-ups with a spray bottle filled with water. 5. Transfer the chops to a large plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut the meat from the bone and slice the meat across the grain on the diagonal. Transfer the slices and bones to a serving platter and serve. Reprinted with permission from Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan with Jessica Battilana. Copyright © 2012 by Charles Phan; photographs copyright © 2012 by Eric Wolfinger. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Charles Phan is the executive chef and owner of The Slanted Door family of restaurants. He received the James Beard Award for Best Chef California in 2004, and in 2011 was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's list of Who's Who of Food in America. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and their three children.

Preparation 1. In a bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, chile, and black pepper and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the pork chops in a rimmed dish in a single layer. Pour the marinade over, cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. (The pork can also be refrigerated overnight. Bring meat to room temperature before grilling). 2. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill (you should be able to hold your hand 1 to 2 inches above the grate for only 2 to 3 seconds). When the coals are ready, push two-thirds of the coals to one-half of the grill, creating a hot zone; spread the remaining one-third on the opposite side of the grill to create a cooler zone. 3. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chops on the hottest part of the grill. Let cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute on the second side. 4. Move the chops to the cooler side of the grill and cook, turning once, for about 10 minutes total, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop registers 140°F, raking over coals from the hotter side of the grill if necessary to maintain an even temperature. Spritz any flare-ups with a spray bottle filled with water. 5. Transfer the chops to a large plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut the meat from the bone and slice the meat across the grain on the diagonal. Transfer the slices and bones to a serving platter and serve. Reprinted with permission from Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan with Jessica Battilana. Copyright © 2012 by Charles Phan; photographs copyright © 2012 by Eric Wolfinger. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Charles Phan is the executive chef and owner of The Slanted Door family of restaurants. He received the James Beard Award for Best Chef California in 2004, and in 2011 was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's list of Who's Who of Food in America. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and their three children.