This episode of Everyday Cooks Recipe Club publishes on February 17, 2026 which happens to be both Mardi Gras and the start of the Lunar New Year - the Year of the Fire Horse. Kelly and Stephanie thought a great way to celebrate this rare event is by revisiting a recipe from Nini Nguyen’s cookbook Dac Biet - lemongrass-marinated pork chops. Nini is based in New Orleans. Her cookbook is a special blend of flavorful, inspired Vietnamese and New Orleans cooking.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. Starting a recipe club
2. Why we chose this recipe
3. What it was like shopping for fresh lemongrass and the other key ingredients
4. How each of us prepared the pork chops (and where we improvised!)
5. Our honest thoughts on flavor, texture, and whether it’s worth making again

If you’ve ever been curious about cooking with lemongrass or you’re just looking for a fresh twist on pork chops, you’ll want to cook along with us!

The full recipe can be found in Nini Nguyen’s cookbook Dac Biet. We highly recommend checking it out anywhere books are sold.

Resources & Links

Watch this interview with Nini Nguyen to see how she makes this recipe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY2vz3o_TTU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiMkAy_9kWE

If there are recipes you want us to try or questions you want to ask, email us at everydaycooksrecipeclub@gmail.com

Support the Show

If you loved this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend who loves to cook. It helps our little cooking club grow and keeps us inspired to bring you more recipes each month! Thank you for your support!

Disclaimer

Everyday Cooks Recipe Club is a podcast for home cooks who love exploring new recipes and sharing the experience. We feature recipes from talented chefs, cookbook authors, and food creators, always giving full credit to the original source. We do not claim ownership of these recipes, and we encourage listeners to support the chefs by purchasing their cookbooks or visiting their websites or social channels. For copyright reasons, we do not share full recipes in our show notes. Instead, we talk about our own cooking experiences, tips, and takeaways.

Credit

Original Music by Matthew J. Smith

Thank you to our favorite recipe testers: Matt, Ryan, Matt and Cameron