Mouth-puckering Xi Muoi (Vietnamese Preserved Plums) makes a great sweet and sour sauce.
Yeah, I know, these photos aren't up to par. In my defense, this recipe has been sitting in the queue for more than a year, and I'm sure you'd rather I post this than wait for me to get around to cooking and then re-photographing it again.
Besides, tell me the sauce on the pork chop doesn't make you salivate already?
Suon Kho Xi Muoi (Vietnamese Braised Pork Chops with Preserved Plums)
For 4 pork chops, you'll need:
4 pork chops (Ha!)
1 or two xi muoi (Vietnamese preserved plums) per pork chop depending on taste
2 tsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Wash and clean pork chops. Rub them with 2 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Set aside.
Look at those shriveled xi muoi with their sweet-sour-salty goodness.
We're going to cook the preserved plums in a pan on medium heat with about 1/2 cup water to make the sweet and sour sauce. After about 10 minutes when it seems like the color and flavor has released into the liquid, add the pork chops.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the pork chops for about half an hour, turning over halfway to make sure the sauce coats both sides. Notice at the bottom of the photo how the sauce has thickened?
Serve with rice.
Unbelievably, the preserved plums still had flavor. You know you're gonna suck on those babies until all the flavor is gone.
Enjoy!
My other xi muoi recipe:
Soda Xi Muoi (Vietnamese Preserved Plum Drink)
*****
1 year ago today, Shio (Japanese Salt) Ramen.
2 years ago today, musings as I drove westbound along Los Angeles downtown traffic.
totally OH M GEE!!!! I've got pork chops in the fridge right now, i'll make this on Sunday, salivating is an understatment right about now, i just took a bite of my computer screen.
ReplyDeleteNow here's something I've never seen before! Base for a sweet and sour sauce -- brilliant.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteDid you?
Anne,
Wait until I use this base for sesame chicken with sweet and sour sauce.
Hi WC,
ReplyDeleteI've tried your "Suon Kho xa gung toi ot" recipe but the meat came out dried and not as tasty, juicy looking as your pics. What did i do wrong?
Christine,
ReplyDeleteNoooo! You mean one of my recipes didn't turn out well for you. Argghhh!
Hmm. Pork gets tender the longer it's cooked, but stove tops do vary in temperature. Did you like the overall flavor of the marinade though? If that's not the issue and it's just the tenderness, you might need to turn down the heat and cook the pork chops longer, or add water to make sure they don't dry out.
If you make it again, do let me know if those changes worked. Maybe I need to adjust the recipe?
I'll try it again at low heat & cook it longer (1.5hr???) and I'll let you know, the sauce taste okay though :)
ReplyDeleteChristine,
ReplyDeleteFeel free to make adjustments. Recipes are all about catering to your tastes. That's part of cooking.