Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop with Broken Rice (Com Suon Nuong)

4.78 from 36 ratings

This classic Vietnamese dish includes pork chops marinated in Vietnamese spices served with broken rice, a fried egg, and fresh vegetables.

Prep Time3

Cook Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Low Lactose

Keyword: broken rice, com suon, com suon nuong, com suon recipe, lemongrass pork chops

Servings: people

Calories: 1181kcal

Mix the ingredients for the marinade (all the ingredients through brown sugar) in a small bowl. Add the pork chops and marinade to a ziploc bag. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. I would highly recommend marinating it overnight for the best flavor.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Put a wire rack on a baking sheet. Place the marinated pork chops on top. Make sure to reserve the marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the pork chops over. Brush with the marinade and bake for another 15 minutes. The pork shop should be done when the internal temperature is 145 degrees F. The bake time will vary based on the thickness of the pork chop. Mine were thick (~1 inch thick), so I baked it for 30 minutes on each side. You can also pan fry or grill the pork chops, but I find the oven the easiest method.
While the pork chops are baking, cook the broken rice, fry your eggs, slice your cucumbers and tomatoes, and make your scallion oil. To make the scallion oil, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour the oil over the green onions and set aside.
Serve pork chops with broken rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled carrots & daikon, a fried egg, and Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Use thin cut, bone in pork chops - This cut will provide you with the best results because thin pork chops are easier to cook, and the bones give the meat a better flavor.
Use the oven for easy clean up - Traditionally, this dish is made using a grill. However, I live in a very small apartment, and it doesn't make sense for me to grill indoors if I don't have to. It's also a harder clean up job. That's why I used the oven for this recipe. It provides good results with half the clean up.
Customize your toppings - There are a lot of components to this rice plate, but feel free to substitute or leave out whichever toppings you want.
How do you eat com tam? - Believe it or not, there is a specific way Vietnamese people eat this dish. They drizzle Vietnamese dipping sauce over the rice, so it can soak up its umami goodness. And then they cut off a piece of the pork chop, dip it in the dipping sauce, and eat the pork and rice in one bite.
Use a reusable container instead of a plastic bag - Use a bowl or reusable bag for a more sustainable option to marinate your pork!
Store every part of the dish separately in airtight containers and put them all onto a plate when you're ready to serve. This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.