Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chops (Cơm tấm sườn nướng)

Name: Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chops (Cơm tấm sườn nướng)
Ingredients: 2.2 lbs pork spare ribs (about 1 kg); For marinating the meat: 3 tablespoons honey, 5 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup unsweetened milk, a few cloves garlic, crushed; For the fish sauce: 1/2 cup fish sauce, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, minced garlic and chili; 1 cup chopped scallions, 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup fresh coconut water (for grilling the meat); Sides: cucumber, pickled vegetables, tomato, fresh herbs as desired

Nữ Gốm Nhật @cook_5446103

Sài Gòn

If you ask which rice dish is the most popular in Vietnam, the answer is surely cơm tấm. Cơm tấm can be found everywhere, from small street stalls to air-conditioned restaurants, all across the country. Vietnamese people love cơm tấm so much that they can eat it at any time of day—morning, noon, afternoon, or night.

Whether you’re eating at a casual spot or a fancy place, you’ll be served an enticing plate of broken rice topped with golden grilled pork chops, some pickled vegetables to balance the flavors, and a side of garlic chili fish sauce. The finishing touch that makes the dish complete is the fragrant scallion oil sauce.

Vietnamese cuisine is diverse and creative, so besides grilled pork chops, cơm tấm can also come with shredded pork skin, steamed egg meatloaf, fried eggs, or Chinese sausage to suit different tastes. In the evening, passing by a cơm tấm stall with the aroma of grilled pork in the air is enough to make anyone’s stomach rumble.

It just goes to show that sometimes the simplest things can touch our hearts. Just rice, meat, and a few simple sides, yet cơm tấm has become the most beloved rice dish in Vietnam and a nostalgic favorite for generations of Vietnamese living abroad.

Nữ Gốm Nhật @cook_5446103

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Ingredients

2.2 lbspork spare ribs (about 1 kg)
For marinating the meat: 3 tablespoons honey, 5 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup unsweetened milk, a few cloves garlic, crushed
For the fish sauce: 1/2 cup fish sauce, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, minced garlic and chili
1 cupchopped scallions, 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cupfresh coconut water (for grilling the meat)
Sides: cucumber, pickled vegetables, tomato, fresh herbs as desired

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Steps

1

Leave the pork ribs in whole slabs, then cut across the slab to grill as a whole strip or slice into individual ribs as you prefer. Marinate with the seasonings for 2 hours or overnight for best flavor.
2

After marinating, grill the meat over charcoal or in the oven. Arrange the meat on a foil-lined baking tray, pour the coconut water and marinade over, and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 480°F (250°C) with both top and bottom heat for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for another 30 minutes until evenly golden.
3

Combine fish sauce, sugar, and coconut water in a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and add the minced garlic and chili.
4

Place the chopped scallions in a bowl. Heat the vegetable oil until hot, then pour it over the scallions and mix well.
5

Serve the rice on a plate, top with grilled pork, pickled vegetables, a fried egg (if desired), drizzle with scallion oil, and serve with the fish sauce on the side.