Com tam, or damaged rice, has advanced right into a culinary icon of Saigon. It options French-style grilled pork cutlets, Chinese language-inspired egg rolls, and northern Vietnamese-style shredded pork pores and skin, all harmonized by the candy and bitter fish sauce attribute of central Vietnamese delicacies.
Initially generally known as a dish related to much less prosperous households, com tam utilized leftover damaged rice grains from milling. Historically, it was served with egg rolls and pork skins. Nonetheless, fashionable iterations of damaged rice provide a wide range of toppings to cater to various tastes.
Identified for its mixture of sa bi chuong, or Vietnamese phrase play of suon, bi, cha that are pork cutlets, pork skins, and egg rolls respectively, com tam could be simply discovered all through town, at any time of day.
This recipe serves about 4 to five folks, takes roughly 105 minutes to organize, and gives round 3,045 energy in whole.
Substances
– 800 grams of pork cutlets or pork collar
– 200 grams floor pork
– 200 grams pork skins
– 150 grams pork shoulder
– 100 grams pork fats
– 2 wooden ear mushrooms
– 1 handful of cellophane noodles
– 1 radish
– 1 carrot
– 1 handful of scallions
– Lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chili
– Coconut water
– Spices: fish sauce, salt, sugar, inventory powder, pepper, caramel sauce, Vietnamese sate sauce, honey, oyster sauce, condensed milk (non-obligatory)
– Annatto oil
– 6-7 rooster eggs
– Thinh gao – rice auditorium
Directions
1. Cooking course of
a. For the grilled meat
– Rinse the pork cutlets or pork collar to take away any impurities after which dry it by patting it with paper towels or a clear material.
– Reduce the meat into items and tenderize the meat by pounding it with a meat mallet or the again of a knife.
– Marinate the meat with a teaspoon every of sugar, honey, and condensed milk for 3-5 minutes. These substances will add sweetness and assist tenderize the meat in the course of the marination course of.
– After the preliminary marination, add chopped lemongrass, garlic, and crushed onions to the meat. Proceed marinating for one more 3-5 minutes.
– Lastly, incorporate a teaspoon every of salt, fish sauce, and oyster sauce into the marinade combination. Enable the meat to marinate for a couple of extra minutes.
– Coat the marinated meat evenly with annatto oil or cooking oil. This coating helps forestall the meat from sticking to the grill and promotes even cooking.
– Grill the coated meat over charcoal till it’s absolutely cooked. Guarantee to show the meat often to make sure even cooking on all sides.
– Should you lack a charcoal range, you possibly can choose to grill the meat in an oven or utilizing an air fryer.
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When the meat is correctly grilled, it ought to have a fair coating of brown coloration. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
b. For the egg rolls
– Start by soaking each the wooden ear mushrooms and cellophane noodles in water till they’re smooth and rehydrated. As soon as softened, chop them finely into small items.
– Reduce half of the carrot together with scallions into small, diced items.
– Separate 3 egg yolks and set them apart for spreading on the floor of the dish. Reserve the remaining egg white for making egg rolls.
– In a mixing bowl, mix floor pork with the chopped mushrooms, cellophane noodles, onions, carrots, and a pair of complete eggs plus the remaining egg white.
– Season the combination with a teaspoon every of fish sauce, salt, inventory powder, and cooking oil.
– Combine all of the substances collectively completely to make sure even distribution of flavors.
– Brush cooking oil right into a mildew or massive bowl to forestall sticking.
– Pour the combined egg and meat combination into the greased mildew or bowl, wrapping it in foil.
– Steam the combination for 20-25 minutes till cooked by. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of the dish. If the toothpick comes out dry and aromatic, it implies that the dish is cooked by.
– Unfold the reserved overwhelmed egg yolks and a bit annatto oil evenly over the floor of the steamed dish.
– Steam for an extra 8-10 minutes to permit the yolks to set.
– Optionally, for improved look and texture, you possibly can bake the egg rolls in a preheated oven at 180 levels Celsius for about 10 minutes.
– As soon as the egg rolls are cooked and cooled, take away them from the mildew or bowl, after which lower them into bite-sized items for serving.
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As soon as the egg rolls are cooked, they need to showcase a yellow prime layer, owing to the presence of egg yolk. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
c. For the shredded pork skins
– Take away any hair from the pork skins.
– Rub the pork skins with lime and salt to scrub and take away any undesirable odors.
– Boil the skins till it is cooked by.
– Take away the cooked skins from the boiling water and soak it in a bowl of ice water to chill it down.
– As soon as cooled, drain the pork skins and take away any remaining fats.
– Use a knife to chop the skins into bite-sized items.
– Mix chopped shallots, garlic, together with half a teaspoon every of fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and oyster sauce with the pork shoulder. Combine effectively.
– Enable the meat to marinate for half-hour to permit the flavors to soak up.
– Warmth a small quantity of cooking oil in a pan over medium warmth.
– Add the marinated meat to the pan. Fry the meat till it is browned and cooked evenly on either side.
– As soon as the meat is cooked, mix it with the ready pork skins.
– Pour contemporary coconut water into the pan with the cooked meat and pork skins. Stir the combination till the meat is cooked by.
– Enable the liquid to scale back till it has dried up.
– As soon as the liquid has dried up, take away the meat from the pan and let it cool barely.
– As soon as cooled, lower the cooked meat into skinny strips for serving.
– Place the shredded meat and pork skins right into a bowl.
– Season the combination with a spoonful of rice auditorium and half a teaspoon every of salt, inventory powder, and pepper. Combine effectively.
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After coating the shredded meat and pork skins with thinh gao, they purchase a dry texture. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
d. For the pickles
– Peel the radishes and carrots and lower them into stripes.
– Place the lower radishes and carrots in a bowl.
– Add a bit salt to the bowl and permit the greens to take a seat for a while. This helps to attract out moisture from the greens and makes the pickles crisper.
– After some time, rinse the greens with clear water to take away extra saltiness.
– Gently squeeze the greens to take away extra water.
– In a separate pot, boil a combination of sugar and vinegar in a 2:1 ratio.
– Add a bit salt to the combination and stir till dissolved.
– Enable the sugar vinegar combination to chill utterly.
– Place the rinsed and drained radishes and carrots right into a clear glass jar.
– Pour the cooled sugar vinegar combination into the jar, guaranteeing that every one the greens are submerged within the liquid.
– Enable the pickles to take a seat within the jar for a minimum of 2 hours earlier than utilizing.
– Should you’ve made a big batch and need to protect it for an extended interval, retailer the pickles in a sterilized and dried glass jar. Maintain the jar of pickles within the fridge for later use. Correctly saved pickles can final for as much as a month.
e. For the scallion oil
– Wash the scallions completely to take away any filth, then drain effectively.
– Reduce the scallions into small items and place them in a bowl.
– Sprinkle a bit sugar over the chopped inexperienced onions within the bowl.
– Reduce the pork fats into cubes.
– Fry the fats in a pan till it releases its fats and turns crispy.
– Take away the fried fats from the pan, forsaking the rendered fats. Maintain the rendered fats separate for later use.
– Take 2 tablespoons of the new rendered fats and pour it over the chopped scallions within the bowl.
– Stir the combination collectively till the onions are barely cooked however nonetheless retain their freshness and coloration.
– Rapidly add 2 tablespoons of cool pork fats or oil to the combination. This sudden change in temperature helps to shock the scallions, preserving their perfume and freshness even when left for an prolonged interval.
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Fried pork fats can be utilized as a topping for damaged rice. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
f. For the greens
– Wash the lettuce completely to take away any filth or impurities, then drain to take away extra water.
– Wash the cucumbers and peel them if desired. Then, lower the cucumbers into bite-sized items.
– Wash the tomatoes and slice them into skinny slices.
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The lettuce chosen needs to be free from any indicators of yellowing or tearing. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
g. For the fried eggs
– Place a non-stick frying pan or skillet on the range over medium warmth. Enable it to preheat for a minute or two.
– As soon as the pan is scorching, add a small quantity of cooking oil. Swirl the pan to make sure the underside is evenly coated.
– Crack the specified variety of eggs into the pan, and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over every egg to style.
– Let the eggs cook dinner undisturbed till the whites are set and the sides are crispy. Should you want over-easy eggs, gently flip them utilizing a spatula after about 2-3 minutes of cooking to briefly cook dinner the opposite aspect. For over-medium or over-hard eggs, cook dinner for a bit longer till the yolks attain your required consistency.
– As soon as the eggs are cooked to your liking, fastidiously switch them to a plate utilizing a spatula.
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Fry the eggs till the whites are now not translucent, whereas guaranteeing that the yolk stays runny. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
h. For the rice
– Soak rice for a short interval, then rinse it gently earlier than cooking.
– As soon as the rice is cooked, switch it right into a small bowl and invert it onto a serving plate for presentation.
i. For the candy fish sauce
– Place a pot on the range and add 200 ml fish sauce, 150 g sugar, and 200 ml coconut water.
– Stir effectively and cook dinner over low warmth for roughly half-hour till the sauce thickens barely. Then, flip off the range.
– Switch the thickened fish sauce right into a bowl to chill.
– As soon as cooled, add minced garlic and chili to the sauce.
2. Last product
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Damaged rice is usually served with a aspect of candy and spicy fish sauce. Photograph by VnExpress/Bui Thuy |
– Beautify the plate by arranging cucumbers, lettuce, and pickles in an alternating sample with grilled pork, pickles, egg rolls, pork pores and skin, and fried eggs.
– Sprinkle scallion oil and crispy pork fats over the rice to boost each taste and texture. Serve with candy fish sauce.
– The pork cutlets are each crispy and tender. Alongside egg rolls, pork skins, pickles and greens, and scallion-infused oil, they create a tasty mixture of flavors and textures that instantly seize the eye of diners when served.