Asian Inspired Pork Chops

You know, by now, that hoisin and sriracha and I are very good friends.  What you didn't know is that I'm also close friends with Sambal Oelek sauce.  It's a fresh ground chili paste and it's WONDERFUL!  I use to use it all the time and then hadn't been able to find it at my local grocery store, then it had been so long since I had cooked with it, that I kind of forgot about it.  Well, the other day I was walking in the Asian food isle of my store and lo and behold, there it was... calling to me.......

So, needless to say I bought some.  With it, I created this Asian inspired pork recipe.  It's simple and takes no time at all... that's the way I like my recipes most days!  If you didn't have Sambal or couldn't find it or didn't want to even try it, you can easily use Sriracha instead, though Sriracha is a bit hotter then Sambal, so add a little at time.  Beware, though, Sambal is spicy too, you might want to test it before you just go and add the full amount. 

 
Asian Inspired Pork Chops
Ingredients:

4 boneless center cut pork chops

2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1 Tablespoon chili paste (Sambal Oelek Sauce) 

juice from 1/2 a lime

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the Hoisin, chili paste, lime and garlic.  Place pork chops in a Ziploc bag and pour sauce over top.  Seal bag and massage sauce around the meat to coat.  Marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.

Place pork chops on a preheated grill and cook for 6-8 minutes per side (turning only once).  Or you can bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until the pork chops are cooked through.  Serve with rice or your favorite side.  (I served mine with garlic rice tossed with sauteed zucchini, it was perfect!!)  Enjoy!