Air-fried Lemongrass Pork Chop

If you like the fragrance of lemongrass, then you will find lemongrass pork chop irresistible. I also love the combination of salty and sweet flavours in this recipe. Lemongrass pork chop is best grilled but you could pan-fry it too. I prefer to use the air fryer for a clean and easy way of grilling these pork chops. Shoulder pork is the best cut for this dish as the fat in the meat helps baste the chops as they cook. Lemongrass pork shop is served with steamed rice or rice vermicelli salad in most Vietnamese food stalls. They use a very thin slice of pork chop but I prefer a thicker version. Brining the thicker pork chops will help ensure the pork chops are juicy and tender. Alternatively, you could use a meat mallet to tenderise the pork chop before marinating.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/9s43_TyKpCQ

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless pork shoulder steaks

• Brine:

  • 2 Tbsp salt

  • 2 cups of water

• Marinade:

  • 1 Tbsp onion (I prefer to use the fried variety)

  • 1 Tbsp sugar

  • 1 tsp fish sauce

  • Dash of black pepper

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp oil

  • 2 stalks of lemongrass (use white bit only, finely chopped) - I use 1 Tbsp of lemongrass powder in the video.

METHOD

1. Brine the pork chops:

• Make the brine solution by dissolving the salt in water.

• Place pork chops into the brine solution - for ½ an hour. You may brine for a longer period, but not more than 2 hours.

• Remove pork chops and wipe dry with kitchen paper.

2. Marinade the pork chops:

• Mix the marinade ingredients together.

• Rub / massage marinade into the pork chops.

• Marinade the pork chops for an hour or so.

3. Cook the pork chops - either grill on the BBQ or in the oven or pan fried. I prefer to use the air fryer (at 180ºC for 10 mins on each side). Flip the pork steaks over once golden brown.