Thai-style Pork Chops with Mango

1. Place pork chops in a long, flat baking dish. Sprinkle the coursely-ground pepper and minced garlic over both sides of the chops and rub in.

2. Combine remaining marinade ingredients in a cup, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the chops and turn them once to saturate. Cover dish with foil and set in the refrigerator to marinate 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the chops, covered tightly with foil, for 60 to 90 minutes (they will be fully cooked after 1 hour, but I like to bake them longer for tenderer results). Turn the chops once in the middle of baking. Note: if your baking dish is dry at this point, add 3-4 Tbsp. water (boiling water if using a glass baking dish).

4. While chops are cooking, prepare the mango and sauce. Slice up the mango (see above for cutting tips) and set aside in a bowl. For the sauce, place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Note that the vinegar will be very pungent as it burns off (I use my overhead fan if it starts stinging my eyes!). Rice vinegar is not as pungent as other types.

5. Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering sauce 10 minutes, or until it has reduced by 1/3 to 1/2 and has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and taste-test, looking for a tangy flavor that is also spicy and sweet.
   
   Tip: the sauce may taste strong (sharp) at this point, but it will be perfect when combined with the pork. If you'd like it spicier, add more chili. If it's too sour, add a little more sugar.

6. When ready to serve, remove chops from oven. Turn them once before removing to soak up the juices from the pan, then plate them up. Add some fresh mango to each portion, then drizzle over the sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander, and accompany with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice (also good with new potatoes!). ENJOY!