If your pork chops are the standard thickness, about ¾-1 inch thick, I suggest butterflying them to make thinner pieces so they can absorb more marinade and become more flavourful, adn they’ll take less time to grill.
2 pork chops
Grind white peppercorns into a powder, then add garlic and cilantro stems and pound into a fine paste.
¼ teaspoon white peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic, 5 cilantro stems
Add the lemongrass and pound into a fine paste. If using fresh turmeric, thinly slice it and pound it into a paste as well. If using turmeric powder, simply add it.
4 inches lemongrass, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Add the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and coconut milk and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Add the pork chops into a mixing bowl or a ziptop bag and add the marinade. Mix well, ensuring the marinade gets in between the pieces. Let it sit for at least 20 mins, longer if you have time. You can do this up to one day in advance. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce (recipe below).
To grill, preheat the grill over high heat and get it up to 400F (200C). Grill the pork chops with the lid open, flipping them after a minute or so once you have nice grill marks. I flip the pork a total of 3 times, with about 1 minute between flips, but this will vary from grill to grill and also the thickness of the pork.
Once you have beautiful grill marks on all sides, check the pork internal temp. You can pull the pork from the grill if the internal temp has reached 135F (carry over cooking will take it to 145F which is the safe internal temp for cooking pork). If the pork is not done, close the lid and cook it for another minute or so to cook through, exact timing will depend on the strength of your grill and how cold the pork is right now, so use your judgment!
Let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly and serve with nam jim jeaw and sticky rice. Enjoy!
Sticky rice