Culinary Vietnam (16 page)

Grilled Five-Spice Pork Chops

Thit Heo Nuong Ngu Vi Huong

Marinade

2 tablespoons minced shallot

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 to 6 (3/4-to 1-inch-thick) pork chops

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a larger meal

This simple yet delicious dish is a staple at many inexpensive restaurants. Usually served with a soup, rice, and vegetables or salad, it makes for a nice lunch or supper. To avoid drying out the meat, choose thick, bone-in rib chops, as they have a bit more fat than the loin chops, and the bone helps keep them moist and adds flavor too. The chops can be served whole, eaten with a knife and fork, or sliced before bringing to the table so that they can be handled with chopsticks. Leftovers are great for fried rice or in sandwiches. Serve with Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce and/or Salt, Pepper, and Lime Dipping Sauce.

1
Combine all of the marinade ingredients and let sit for a few minutes. Place the pork chops in a nonreactive dish and cover them with the marinade, making sure all of the meat has been coated; cover and marinate for 1 to 3 hours or overnight.

NOTE:
If you marinate for more than 1 hour, you need to refrigerate the chops and then remove from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling.

2
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill and cook the chops about 4 to 6 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second, being careful not to overcook. Rest a few minutes and serve whole or sliced.

The aspects of flavor, aroma, texture, color, contrast, balance, and even the sound a food makes are all taken into consideration in the planning and creation of a Vietnamese meal.

Stir-Fried Pork with Baby Bok Choy

Thit Heo Xao Cai Be Trang

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely minced lemongrass

1/2 teaspoon chile paste, or 1/4 teaspoon dry chile flakes

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

1-1/2 pounds pork shoulder, loin, or leg meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 pound baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise or in quarters (depending on the size)

1 white onion, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish or 4 to 6 as part of a larger meal

This is a simple stir-fry that uses basic Vietnamese flavors and would usually be part of a multicourse meal. The bok choy could easily be replaced with broccoli, cauliflower, or other vegetables. The natural sweet and slightly bitter taste of the bok choy contrasts nicely with the rich saltiness of the pork. This dish is typical of Vietnamese stir-fries in that a minimal amount of oil is used and the natural moisture of the ingredients along with the marinade is all of the sauce that is added to the dish. Serve it with Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.

1
Mix together the fish sauce, garlic, lemongrass, chile paste, sugar, salt, pepper, and lime juice; add the sliced pork and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

2
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok until very hot. Stir-fry the bok choy and onion briefly to set the color and brown the onions slightly around the edges. Remove the vegetables from the wok with tongs and reserve. Add the remaining oil to the wok, and when it just begins to smoke, add the pork and spread it evenly around the surface of the wok to sear. When a bit of color develops around the edges of the pork, stir it briefly, fry for 30 seconds more, and add the vegetables back into the wok. Stir again several times until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables have thrown off a little moisture. Remove from the wok and serve immediately.

Grilled Pork Spare Ribs

Suon Nuong

6 to 6-1/2 pounds pork spareribs, back membrane removed and separated into individual ribs (about 2 racks; have your butcher split into riblets if desired) 1 white onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 stalks lemongrass, lightly crushed and cut into 2-inch sections

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced into 3 smaller pieces (optional)

3 star anise (optional)

Marinade

4 tablespoons

Caramel Sauce

2 tablespoons raw or brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice or distilled white vinegar

2 to 3 teaspoons chile garlic paste, or 1 teaspoon dry chile flakes crushed together with 4 cloves garlic

2 shallots, peeled and minced

1/4 cup thinly sliced lemongrass, crushed in a mortar and pestle

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer, 3 to 5 as a main dish, or 6 to 8 as part of a larger meal

When I cook these ribs, I always wish that I had made more, as they disappear quickly; it is wonderful to have leftovers, so I have called for a lot of ribs here. This recipe is derived from street-vendor and small-restaurant styles combined with some of the tricks that I have learned about grilling over the years. I often find that the typical Vietnamese method of marinating raw ribs and then going directly to the charcoal grill, although it produces tasty results, also often makes for chewy ribs, and the marinade can easily burn while trying to cook the meat sufficiently. I parboil the ribs to cook them through before marinating, yielding flavorful and tender results. That step may be done a day or two ahead of time. If you are set up for slow, even-heated char grilling or smoking, you can skip the boiling step and cook the ribs for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. If you prefer not to deal with the bones, you could also use boneless country-style ribs and then slice them before serving.

1
Place the ribs, onion, garlic, lemongrass, peppercorns, salt, ginger, and star anise into a large pot and cover with cool water, about 3 to 4 quarts. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low boil and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is beginning to get tender. Turn off the heat, let sit for 15 minutes, and then drain; separate the ribs from the rest of the seasonings and then discard the seasonings.

2
Mix together all of the marinade ingredients and then toss with the ribs. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir the ribs several times during marinating to evenly distribute the flavors.

3
Preheat a char-grill to medium-low or medium heat. Carefully remove the ribs from the marinade so that you will have some marinade to use later in the cooking process. Begin cooking the ribs, turning occasionally as color develops to prevent burning. After about 10 minutes, brush the ribs with some of the marinade. Cook 5 to 7 minutes more and then brush one more time. Discard the remaining marinade and cook the ribs a final 7 to 10 minutes more, or until the marinade has caramelized on the meat and there is some charring around the edges.