PORK : A Vietnamese friend shared this nice recipe with me years ago. Just adjust the amount of sugar to taste, and the recipe should work out well.

VIETNAMESE STYLE PORK CHOPS WITH RICE NODDLES:

3 pork chops                                        

1/2 of a 12 oz pkg. dry Vietnamese or "bahn pho" rice noodles

1 tbsp. finely chopped lemon grass                

1 tsp. finely chopped shallots

1 clove garlic, minced                                     

½ red hot chilli, diced                         

1 tbsp. finely chopped peanuts--optional, +1 tbsp. fried minced shallot for garnish

marinade:

   ½ tsp. sugar                                      

   1 tbsp. fish sauce

   1 tsp. finely chopped lemon grass   

   1 tsp. finely chopped shallots

   1 tsp. minced garlic

seasoning:

   1 tsp. fish sauce                               

   1 tsp. sugar

   1 tbsp. water

sauce:

   5 tbsp. fish sauce                             

   4 tbsp. sugar or to taste

   3 tbsp. lime juice                             

   2 tbsp. white vinega

   2 tsp. minced garlic                          

   6 red chillies

   6 tbsp. water

Oil for deep frying

Pound pork chops with a meat mallet. Add marinade ingredients and marinate chops for 2 hours. Remove chops and pat dry with paper towels. Heat enough oil for deep frying in wok or large saucepan until tested hot enough. Deep fry pork for 4-5 minutes or until cooked.  Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 tbsp. oil from pan and reserve for other uses. Heat pan up until hot and cook shallot, lemon grass, garlic and chillies until fragrant. Return pork chops to pan together with seasoning ingredients. Simmer together until liquid has evaporated.

Cook rice noodles, following package instructions, in salted boiling water until soft, drain and place in the serving plate.

Arrange pork chops on top of noodles. Sprinkle chopped peanuts, if using, and the fried shallot over pork chops. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over everything to serve. Alternately serve sauce on the side with the dish.