- 4 center cut pork chops, cut about 1¼ inches thick (each about 12 ounces)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 medium-size ripe tomato, halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges
- ½ hothouse cucumber (seedless), peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 scallions (white bulbs and 3 inches green), thinly sliced
- ½ cup pale green celery heart leaves, coarsely chopped
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced green jalapeno pepper, to taste
- Place the pork chops in a bowl. Sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, and fish sauce in a spouted measuring cup, and pour the marinade over the chops. Toss to coat them well. Marinate, loosely covered, at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours; or cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, turning the chops occasionally.
- Shortly before serving time, prepare the Spicy Vegetable Salad: Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the tomato, cucumber, scallions, celery leaves, shallots, and jalapeño. Set this aside.
- Preheat a barbecue grill to high.
- Remove the chops from the marinade. Oil the grill rack well, and arrange the chops on it. Grill, basting often with the marinade, for 7 minutes per side.
- Arrange the chops on an oval serving platter. Toss the reserved dressing and the salad together, and spoon over the pork chops. Serve immediately.