Com Tam Suon Bi Cha
Com Tam Suon Bi Cha is a classic Vietnamese broken rice dish featuring grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin, and a savory steamed egg meatloaf. It's often served with a side of fresh vegetables and a sweet and tangy fish sauce dressing.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Allergen information: may contain eggs, fish, gluten, sesame, and soy. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
pork chop
- 4 pcspork chop, bone-in, about 150g each
pork chop marinade
- 60 glemon grass, finely minced
- 2 pcsshallot, finely minced
- 3 clovegarlic, finely minced
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbspsugar
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbsphoney
- 1 tspsesame oil
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
cha (egg meatloaf)
- 100 gpork belly, finely minced
- 200 gground pork
- 10 gwood ear mushroom, dried, rehydrated and finely chopped
- 10 gvermicelli noodle, dried, rehydrated and chopped
- 1 pcsshallot, finely minced
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- 0.5 tspsugar
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
- 3 pcsegg
- 1 pcsegg yolk
bi (shredded pork skin)
- 200 gshredded pork skin, prepared
served with
- 2 cupbroken rice
- 3 cupwater
garnish
- 1 pcscucumber, sliced
- 1 pcstomato, sliced
- 0.5 cuppickled carrot
- 0.5 cuppickled daikon
- 4 pcsfried egg, optional(optional)
sauce
- 1 cupnuoc cham, for serving
- 4 tbspscallion oil, for serving
Equipment
steamer · bowl · rice cooker · shallow dish · grill · knife · cutting board
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the pork chop marinade by combining lemon grass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and black pepper in a bowl.
About 5 min
- 2
Score the pork chops lightly on both sides to help absorb the marinade.
About 2 min
- 3
Coat the pork chops thoroughly with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably several hours, to allow flavors to develop.
About 30 min
- 4
For the cha (egg meatloaf), combine minced pork belly, ground pork, rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, chopped vermicelli noodles, minced shallot, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper in a mixing bowl.
About 10 min
- 5
Add 2 of the eggs to the meat mixture and mix well until everything is evenly combined.
About 2 min
- 6
Press the mixture into a shallow, heatproof dish or ramekin, ensuring an even layer.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Lightly oil the dish to prevent sticking.
- 7
Steam the cha mixture for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and firm.
About 25 min
Cook’s note: You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean.
- 8
Whisk the remaining egg and the egg yolk together in a small bowl.
About 1 min
- 9
Pour the whisked egg mixture over the steamed cha and continue to steam for another 5-7 minutes, until the egg topping is set and glossy.
About 7 min
Cook’s note: This creates a beautiful golden top layer.
- 10
Once cooked, remove the cha from the steamer and let it cool slightly before slicing into serving portions.
About 5 min
- 11
Cook the broken rice according to package directions, typically by combining broken rice and water in a rice cooker.
About 20 min
- 12
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
About 5 min
- 13
Grill the marinated pork chops for 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and nicely charred, brushing with any remaining marinade occasionally.
About 14 min
Cook’s note: Adjust grilling time based on thickness of pork chops.
- 14
Allow the grilled pork chops to rest for a few minutes before slicing them against the grain.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Resting helps keep the pork juicy.
- 15
To assemble, place a generous portion of broken rice on each plate.
About 1 min
- 16
Arrange sliced pork chop, sliced cha, and shredded pork skin alongside the rice.
About 2 min
- 17
Garnish with cucumber, tomato, pickled carrot, pickled daikon, and a fried egg if desired.
About 2 min
- 18
Drizzle with scallion oil and serve immediately with nuoc cham on the side.
About 1 min
Keep it good
Store leftover components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Reheat pork chops and cha gently in a microwave or oven until warmed through. Serve rice and garnishes fresh.
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