Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops are juicy, tender and delicious! Pork chops are marinated in a simple Vietnamese sauce, then pan-seared.
Make Marinade: Place shallots, brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper in medium bowl. Use fork to combine; mix until brown sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Marinate Pork Chops: Pierce pork chops on all sides multiple times using the tines of a fork. This helps marinade get into pork chops quicker, resulting in tender, tasty pork chops!
Put pork chops in a LARGE resealable bag OR a large shallow dish in a single layer. Pour marinade over pork; flip chops over, to cover all sides. Spoon marinade on top of chops; cover dish. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temp. Flip a couple times so each side is well marinated. TIP: You can marinate chops one day ahead! Keep dish covered and refrigerate, flipping them occasionally in the sauce.
When ready to cook pork chops, remove them from the marinade. Let excess sauce drain into the dish; scrape sauce and shallots off the chops. SAVE THE MARINADE FOR THE PAN SAUCE! Pour marinade/shallots into a small saucepan.
Cook Pork Chops: Heat vegetable oil in large skillet on Medium-High heat. Once oil is very hot, but not smoking, add pork chops in a single layer. Cook for 4 minutes without moving them in the skillet; flip to the other side. Cook about 4 more minutes. When done, pork chops should be browned on both sides, cooked through, and have an internal temp. of 145°F. Let pork chops "rest" for 7-8 minutes before serving, so juices can redistribute inside the meat.
While chops are "resting", make the pan sauce using reserved marinade in saucepan. Bring marinade to a full boil, stirring often (it will bubble and rise in the pan as it cooks). Continue boiling/stirring for approx. 4 minutes. Sauce should be reduced, leaving about ¼ cup in the pan.
To Serve: Place a pork chop on a plate; spoon pan sauce on top. Garnish with fresh parsley (opt.), and serve with a lime wedge on the side (a must). Squeeze lime juice over pork chops. Serve with favorite side dishes, and enjoy!
NOTE: If desired, you can very lightly salt the pork chops before cooking. I find this not necessary as the sauce/marinade is salty enough, but this is up to you to decide.
Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/vietnamese-skillet-pork-chops/