Com Tam Suon Nuong (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Com tam means broken rice: grains that cracked during milling and were once thrown away as unsellable.
Read more
Today it is the base of a classic Ho Chi Minh City breakfast, and its small pieces take up the meat's marinade well. Instead of a bone-in chop over charcoal, this version uses thin slices of pork shoulder marinated with lemongrass and seared in a pan.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 1.5 cups broken rice gently in cold water 2 to 3 times until the cloudy starch is mostly gone.
Add 1.5 cups water, cover tightly, and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.
- 2
Turn off the heat and let the rice steam, still covered, for 5 minutes.
Fluff it gently with a rice paddle so the small grains loosen without breaking further, then keep it covered so it does not dry out.
- 3
Trim away the hard base, woody top, and dry outer layers of the lemongrass.
Weigh 25 g of the tender trimmed stalk and mince it very finely with the 12 g garlic. Mix with 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 tablespoon sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- 4
Slice 300 g pork shoulder about 0.5 cm thick so it cooks quickly and caramelizes before drying out.
Pat the slices dry, coat evenly with the marinade, and rest for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
- 5
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan over high heat until the surface shimmers.
Lay the pork in a single layer, without crowding, and press lightly while searing each side for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 6
When the pork edges turn deep brown and the marinade becomes sticky, lower the heat so the sugar does not burn.
Serve the pork over the rice and spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons pan juices over the top.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Vietnam: A foodie guide by region
Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism · Checked: 2026-09-12
- Vietnamese Restaurant-Style Grilled Lemongrass Pork
Andrea Nguyen, Viet World Kitchen · Checked: 2026-09-12
- Lemongrass 101: How to buy and prep
Andrea Nguyen, Viet World Kitchen · Checked: 2026-09-12
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