Lemongrass and lime pork chops
Pork chops marinated with lemongrass, lime and garlic and pan-fried until golden — fragrant, zesty and refreshing on a muggy evening.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Pan-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Muggy Start of Summer weather leaves a Qi-stagnant constitution more irritable, tight-chested and off its food. Lemongrass and lime are fresh and fragrant, moving qi and opening the appetite — their scent alone helps you unwind — and quick-fried pork chops make a light, refreshing summer dinner.
Method
Prep 25 min · Cook 10 min- 1Tenderise the chops with the back of a knife and snip the fat at the edges in a few places so they don't curl as they cook.
- 2Mix the lemongrass, garlic, lime zest, half the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and pepper and marinate the chops for 20 minutes.
- 3Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chops over medium heat for 3–4 minutes a side until golden and cooked through, adding the leftover marinade for the last minute to glaze.
- 4Slice the chops, lay them on the lettuce, scatter with the coriander and squeeze over a little more lime.
Cautions
- Fish sauce is salty, so halve it if you have high blood pressure; go light on the lime if you have excess stomach acid.
Chef's tips
- Use only the pale lower part of the lemongrass, bashed and then finely chopped, for the most fragrance; don't overcook the chops — just white in the centre is most tender.
The TCM view
Lemongrass is pungent and warm, moving qi, settling the stomach and dispersing cold. Lime is sour and sweet, generating fluids, whetting the appetite and regulating qi. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and moistening dryness without heating. Garlic moves qi and eases food stagnation, and coriander is aromatic and appetising. Fragrant and qi-moving — suited to Qi stagnation.
