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koo mook, Trang |
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INGREDIENTS
for the meat 2 cup pork chops 2 spring onions 3 cloves of garlic 2 stalks of lemongrass 2 cucch.ai oil 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. fish sauce 1 tsp. palm sugar Nước chấm - Vietnamese dipping sauce 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2-3 fresh chili, finely chopped 1 scant tsp. of sugar 1 tsp. of rice vinegar 1 tbsp. of fish sauce 5 tbsp. of water 80 grams of boiled broken rice pickled vegetables |
Com Tam, which literally means broken rice, is the gastronomic symbol of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a an incredibly tasty dish made with marinated, grilled pork chops served with boiled broken rice (i.e. com tam), nuoc cham sauce and pickled vegetables. The marinade makes the meat tender, fragrant and slightly caramelized, in one word, exquisite!
Broken rice is a "variety" of rice that we discovered for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City. It is nothing but the "waste" from the prestigious jasmine rice. When its long grains simply break during various processes, you get broken rice which then is sold as a second-grade rice at a lower price. We really liked it, it reminded me of couscous, only bigger.
The pickled vegetables, as well as the nuoc cham sauce, are served as an accompaniment to many dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. They are both very simple and quick to make, and can be kept in the fridge for about a week.
This dish is so delicious, it is a must try!
Broken rice is a "variety" of rice that we discovered for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City. It is nothing but the "waste" from the prestigious jasmine rice. When its long grains simply break during various processes, you get broken rice which then is sold as a second-grade rice at a lower price. We really liked it, it reminded me of couscous, only bigger.
The pickled vegetables, as well as the nuoc cham sauce, are served as an accompaniment to many dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. They are both very simple and quick to make, and can be kept in the fridge for about a week.
This dish is so delicious, it is a must try!
PREPARATION
Finely chop the garlic, the white part of spring onions and the lemon grass (if you can not find it fresh, it can be replaced with about 2 tablespoons dried lemon grass). Prepare a marinade by combining the chopped spices, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and oil. Rub it well onto the meat and leave to marinate for 6-7 hours, or overnight.
Toss the finely sliced green part of the spring onions quickly in a pan with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.
Finely chop the garlic, the white part of spring onions and the lemon grass (if you can not find it fresh, it can be replaced with about 2 tablespoons dried lemon grass). Prepare a marinade by combining the chopped spices, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and oil. Rub it well onto the meat and leave to marinate for 6-7 hours, or overnight.
Toss the finely sliced green part of the spring onions quickly in a pan with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.
Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water is clear, then put it in a cooking pot using the ratio of 1.5 cups of rice and 2 cups of water.
Place over heat, shake well to level out the rice thus making sure you get an evenly cooked rice. Cook covered until the water is completely absorbed. Do not stir as it will make our rice lumpy and sticky. Just make sure to check on the water level once in a while. Once all the water is absorbed, remove from the heat and leave covered for another 5-10 minutes in order to complete the cooking. You will get nice and grainy rice.
Place over heat, shake well to level out the rice thus making sure you get an evenly cooked rice. Cook covered until the water is completely absorbed. Do not stir as it will make our rice lumpy and sticky. Just make sure to check on the water level once in a while. Once all the water is absorbed, remove from the heat and leave covered for another 5-10 minutes in order to complete the cooking. You will get nice and grainy rice.
