Vietnamese Pork Chops with Cucumber-Radish Salad

By carol gorman

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. light brown sugar
• 4 pork chops (1 1/2 lbs.)
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Serrano chile, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch radishes, quartered, greens reserved
• 1 small (Persian) cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup basil leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high.

In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce and garlic with 1 tbsp. each vinegar, oil and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and grill until grill marked, about 5 minutes. Turn the pork; brush with the vinegar mixture. Grill, brushing with the remaining vinegar mixture, until the chops are glazed and cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to plates.

In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice and chile with the remaining 1 tbsp. vinegar, 1 tsp. oil and 1 tsp. sugar. Toss with the radishes, radish greens, cucumber and basil; season. Serve with the pork chops.