I think everyone has their own rituals when cooking meat. In North America it seems the barbecue is a much more common method of cooking than in the UK, where it really is only utilised in the Summertime to scorch cheap burgers and incinerate poor sausages. Some people will instinctively reach for salt and pepper only to season, whereas others think nothing of cooking meat with no adornment whatsoever. Still others concoct elaborate marinades and rubs for meat and maybe the rest, like me, are always looking for new ways to breathe life into that plain ole' pork chop. Like chicken breast, pork chops are the white gallery walls of the food world, waiting for something amazing to decorate them.
The Asians do some very exciting things with meat. Think Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, cooked over embers until the edges are crispy and that tangy, salty, sweet taste. Or Indian Raan, a whole lamb leg slowly roasted after bathing for many hours in an exotic, fragrant mixture with creamy yogurt, garlic and whole spices. I happened upon this unusual recipe while discovering a new blog: this one, in fact. Food porn is a term used to describe the most beautiful images of food and this blog certainly offers this in bundles.
The unusual aspect of this recipe is the use of baking powder added to the marinade. The blog writer claims that it helps to tenderise the chops and they were indeed pretty succulent. Paired with the other ingredients of fish sauce and honey, it also helps to give the chops a lovely deep brown colour once cooked and there's the added bonus of watching the whole marinade fizz and bubble as the baking powder reacts with the fish sauce.
The unusual aspect of this recipe is the use of baking powder added to the marinade. The blog writer claims that it helps to tenderise the chops and they were indeed pretty succulent. Paired with the other ingredients of fish sauce and honey, it also helps to give the chops a lovely deep brown colour once cooked and there's the added bonus of watching the whole marinade fizz and bubble as the baking powder reacts with the fish sauce.
Recipe : Pork chops with lemon grass and cashews
Adapted from www.shesimmers.com
2 pork chops
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp baking powder
2 cloves garlic
6-8 cashew nuts
(The original recipe suggests also frying 2 stalks of lemongrass, sliced finely, (white bit only), along with the garlic. I found this too bitter and hard once fried and so I threw it away and used cashew nuts instead. You can use whatever you choose).
1/4 cup oil
Mix the fish sauce, honey, white pepper and baking powder together well and pour all over the chops in a shallow bowl. (If you've got nothing better to do, you can stare at the mixture for a while and watch as it bubbles and fizzes).
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for as long as possible to marinate. Mine had a paltry 2 hours or so, but the recipe recommends 4 - 5 hours.
When you are ready to cook the chops, heat the oven to 375oF, remove them from the marinade, wipe them dry and then heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sear the chops until golden brown on both sides. Transfer them to a baking dish and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes or so until cooked through but not overcooked.
While the chops are in the oven, heat the 1/4 cup of oil in a pan over medium heat and add the peeled and finely sliced garlic, cashews and lemongrass, (if using) and fry gently until everything is golden and crispy. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic will become bitter. Drain the garnish on paper towels and sprinkle over the chops when they are ready.
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