Sticky Garlic Pork Chops

1 . Stage

Combine brown sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, and fish sauce in a bowl for the marinade. Add a splash of soy sauce and a plop of ketchup. Finish off with black pepper and hot sauce.

2 . Stage

Pour 1/2 of the marinade into a baking dish and lay pork chops over marinade. Pour the remaining marinade on top and toss pork chops until well coated. Wrap with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, flipping chops every 30 minutes, 1 to 2 hours.

3 . Stage

Remove chops to a plate, scraping any excess marinade back into the baking dish.

4 . Stage

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place chops in the hot oil. Cook until outsides are nicely charred and meat springs back when lightly prodded, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plate to rest.

5 . Stage

Pour the marinade into the skillet. Raise heat to medium-high. Cook until marinade is reduced and sticky, 3 to 5 minutes. Return pork chops and any accumulated juices to the skillet.

6 . Stage

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook pork chops, flipping and basting occasionally, until the centers are slightly pink and sauce is to your desired degree of stickiness, 6 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork should read about 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

7 . Stage

Plate each pork chop and spoon a portion of the sticky garlic sauce on top. Chef John