Although caramel may seem like it’s just for dessert, this sauce, based on Vietnamese nuoc mau, resembles molasses and sits on the savory side of things thanks to fish sauce and lime juice. Use this all-purpose sauce for braising and stir-fries, but watch it sing when used to baste anything on the grill. The caramel can be made ahead and used to baste pork chops while cooking, as in this recipe, resulting in flavorful charred chops smothered in that sticky bittersweet sauce.
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What you’ll need
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Tongs
$20 At Amazon
Brush
$8 $6 At Amazon
Medium Saucepan
$50 $37 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring ½ cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is golden, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and pour in 2 Tbsp. fish sauce and another 2 Tbsp. water; mixture will bubble vigorously at first and may seize up (don’t worry, it will smooth out again in the next step). Add 2 garlic cloves, crushed, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until caramel is smooth, about 2 minutes. Set caramel sauce aside.
Step 2
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Pat 4 ½"-thick bone-in pork rib chops (about 2 lb.) dry with paper towels and season generously with kosher salt and pepper; lightly brush with vegetable oil. Grill chops, turning every 2 minutes or so, until golden and nearly cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops should register 130°), 6–8 minutes.
Step 3
Brush pork chops lightly with reserved caramel sauce and continue to grill, turning and brushing often, just until deeply browned and beginning to char in a few places, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes.
Step 4
Drizzle chops with any remaining caramel sauce. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Do ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature befo re using.
