My Vietnamese broken rice with grilled lemongrass pork chops makes a hearty meal and brings all the flavors and textures you want in one plate.
When it comes to rice, cơm tấm, or Vietnamese broken rice is my favorite! During the milling process, a small percentage of rice is broken and discarded. Vietnamese are known for their “no waste” approach to cooking and have transformed these imperfect rice grains into a quintessential Vietnamese dish. Travel to Vietnam and you’ll find cơm tấm in every city, a popular option for workers who need a cheap and hearty meal. I’m excited to share a version that my mom makes often, Vietnamese broken rice with grilled lemongrass pork chops, or cơm tấm sườn nướng.
WHAT IS BROKEN RICE
As previously mentioned, broken rice are the rice grains damaged during the drying and milling process. The manufacturers consider them inferior and low grade due to their imperfection. However, they taste similar to regular rice. Due to their smaller size, broken rice absorbs liquid and flavors more easily. I like using broken rice for making congee. My favorite brand of broken rice is Three Ladies and you can find broken rice online and at many Asian grocery stores in the same aisle that you would find other types of rice.
TIPS FOR MARINATING THE PORK CHOPS
My mom makes a wonderful lemongrass marinade for the pork chops similar to the marinade for these grilled Vietnamese pork ribs. It has fish sauce and sugar along with the other aromatics like shallot and garlic. To get the best flavor, buy quality pork chops about 1/4-1/2 inch thick! Don’t trim off the fat. Pork chops are not fatty compared to other cuts of meat and can dry out after cooking. Leaving the fat on will help baste the chops as they cook. Marinate the pork chops for at least 4 hours to infuse flavor. If you can marinate them overnight, the flavor will be even better!
TIPS FOR GRILLING THE PORK CHOPS
Take the pork chops out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling, allowing the meat to cook more evenly from edge center. Place the coals on one side of the grill, let the temperature rise to about 375-400 degrees F before tossing any meat on it. Start the pork chops on the hot side of the grill which will sear the meat and begin to caramelize the sugar. Move the meat to the cooler side to let them finish cooking. By using indirect heat, the result is a tender piece of meat without the seared black marks signaling inconsistent cooking.
WHAT TO SERVE BROKEN RICE WITH
At many restaurants, a plate of broken rice is served with a protein (grilled lemongrass pork chops, grilled pork, grilled shrimp, and/or shredded pork skin/bì), steamed pork and egg meatloaf/chả trứng, a fried egg sunny-side up/trứng ốp la, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, pickles/đồ chua, and a tangy sauce to bring everything together. The broken rice also comes with a small bowl of soup to help wash everything down. I wanted to keep mine simple with the grilled lemongrass pork chops as the hero but will share recipes for the other type of proteins in the future!
This broken rice plate makes a hearty meal with the grilled lemongrass pork chops, fried egg, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber. Dysfonctionnement érectile Lisez la suite pour en savoir plus sur viagra pour homme l’ impuissance et comment le pilules peut le traiter efficacement. The combination of umami, sweet, and salty flavors, smokiness, and lemongrass fragrance from the pork chops make this dish irresistible while the fresh vegetables and the pickled carrot and daikon bring a nice crunch. Try my broken rice plate and you’ll understand why it has become a beloved rice dish among Vietnamese!
