How to Cook Cơm Tấm with Grilled Pork, Shredded Pork, and Egg Loaf at Home

How to Cook Broken Rice

To cook delicious broken rice, soak the rice for about 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to absorb water and soften. Then, put the rice in a rice cooker, add boiling water until it just covers the surface of the rice, similar to cooking sticky rice. If there’s too much water after it starts boiling, you can pour some out. Stir the rice and press the Cook button again to continue cooking. Just before serving, scoop the rice into a bowl, press it down slightly, then invert the bowl onto a plate and use a rice scoop to flatten the top.

If you don’t have broken rice, you can use regular rice and crush it. If you don’t have pre-crushed rice, you can break the grains by washing the rice, placing it in a plastic bag, and freezing it overnight. When ready to cook, rinse the rice again, then use a rolling pin to gently crush the grains before cooking.

How to Prepare Grilled Pork Chops

To accompany the broken rice, use pork chops or loin for the grilled meat. If you can’t find pork chops, you can substitute with tender or firm pork shoulder, which is also very flavorful.

The meat should be left in whole pieces, about the size of a hand and about 2cm thick. Rub the pork with coarse salt, rinse, and pat dry, then use the back of a knife to lightly pound the meat to tenderize it. Make 2-3 shallow cuts along the edge of the meat to prevent it from curling when grilled.

Next, marinate the pork—a crucial step that greatly influences the flavor of the Cơm Tấm.

For the amount of pork mentioned, marinate it with 2/3 tablespoon of coarse salt, 2/3 tablespoon of MSG, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2/3 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of mild chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper, and 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce.

Additionally, finely mince 7-8 garlic cloves, 3 lemongrass stalks, 2 shallots, and 1 chili, and add this mixture to the pork for extra flavor. Mix well and let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Once the meat is marinated, grill it. You can grill the pork over charcoal, in an oven, or in an air fryer. Here, Cookbeo uses an air fryer.

First, line the grill with aluminum foil or parchment paper, then place the pork on it. Be sure to remove any remaining lemongrass, garlic, or shallot bits from the meat’s surface to prevent them from burning. Set the temperature to 160°C for 15 minutes, then flip the meat and grill for another 10 minutes. Finally, brush the meat with the marinade, increase the temperature to 180°C, and grill for another 8 minutes, flipping the meat halfway through. Your delicious grilled pork chops are now ready.

Grilled pork tastes best when served hot, so when preparing Cơm Tấm, plan your timing so that the meat is grilled just before serving to ensure the best flavor.

How to Make Egg Loaf

Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water until they soften, then wash them with coarse salt, rinse, and finely chop.

Soak the vermicelli in cold water for about 20 minutes, then rinse, drain, and chop finely like the mushrooms.

Peel and finely chop the shallots.

Crack 3 eggs into a bowl, add the vermicelli, mushrooms, and shallots. For the 4th egg, separate the yolk and set it aside in a small bowl—mix the white with the other ingredients. You can mix the yolk with a teaspoon of annatto oil to brush over the top of the egg loaf for a more attractive color.

Season the mixture with 1 teaspoon of MSG, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 3 teaspoons of fish sauce, and 3 teaspoons of cooking oil. Mix well to combine all the ingredients and allow the flavors to meld.

You can add a little grated carrot to the egg loaf mixture and prepare some sliced chili to place on top of the loaf.

Lightly grease a bowl or container with oil to prevent the egg loaf from sticking. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl, being careful not to overfill, as the loaf will puff up during steaming and may spill over. Cover the bowl to prevent condensation from dripping onto the egg loaf during steaming.

Fill a pot with water, enough to reach halfway up the sides of the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil, then place the egg loaf bowl in the steamer and steam over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Five minutes before turning off the heat, brush the reserved egg yolk mixture over the top of the loaf, then cover and continue steaming.

Once the egg loaf is cooked, remove the bowl from the steamer. Let it cool slightly before transferring it to a plate and slicing it just before serving. Don’t let the egg loaf cool completely in the bowl, as it may stick to the sides, making it difficult to remove and clean. This is a small but useful tip that Cookbeo wants to share with readers.

How to Make Shredded Pork with Toasted Rice Powder

Clean the pork skin by trimming off any fat, scraping off any hair, then rubbing it with coarse salt and rice wine. If you have fresh ginger, crush it and rub it with the salt and wine to remove any odors. Rinse thoroughly, then place the pork skin in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.

To make the pork skin fragrant and white, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1/3 tablespoon of coarse salt, and a few slices of fresh ginger to the pot. When the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer the pork skin for 20-25 minutes until it becomes translucent. While boiling, do not cover the pot to prevent the pork skin from becoming cloudy and to allow any odors to dissipate.

Prepare a bowl of ice water with half a lemon squeezed into it. Once the pork skin is cooked, remove it from the pot and immediately submerge it in the ice water to keep it crispy and white. After it cools, drain and slice the pork skin into thin strips.

Rinse 4 tablespoons of regular rice and 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice, then dry toast them in a pan until golden and fragrant. Let the toasted rice cool slightly, then grind it into a fine powder. For extra flavor, grind the rice with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

When making shredded pork with toasted rice powder, you can also prepare some simmered pork tenderloin with fish sauce, slice it into thin strips, and mix it with the shredded pork for added flavor.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Pickled Radish

Peel the daikon radish and carrot, trim the ends, wash, and julienne into thin strips. Then, soak them in a bowl of water mixed with a little coarse salt to remove any bitterness and odor from the radish and carrot.

Mix the sweet and sour pickling solution with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1/4 tablespoon of coarse salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, then add minced garlic and chili.

Place the radish and carrot in a bowl, pour the pickling solution over them, and mix well. Let the vegetables absorb the flavors for 3-5 minutes, then drain off the excess liquid and squeeze the radish and carrot strips dry to keep them crisp.

Finally, loosen the radish and carrot strips and place them on a plate.

How to Make Fried Egg

Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a pan, just enough to coat the surface. Once the oil is hot, crack an egg into the pan. Use a spoon or spatula to shape the egg white into a neat circle. Keep the heat at medium-low, and sprinkle a little fine salt or seasoning salt and some ground pepper over the yolk. Fry until the egg white is set and the yolk is just slightly runny, then carefully transfer the fried egg to a plate.

How to Make Cơm Tấm Dipping Sauce

The dipping sauce for Cơm Tấm is considered one of the key elements of this dish. The sauce is thick, clear, and fragrant, with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors that enhance the rice and side dishes.

Add 340ml of water to a pot (about 2 medium-sized bowls), bring it to a boil, then add 170ml of fish sauce, 170g of sugar, 30ml of vinegar (~3 full tablespoons), and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.

The secret to making the sauce thick and clear is to add 3-4 pieces of pineapple to the pot while cooking. The pineapple helps thicken and enhance the flavor of the sauce, ensuring that when you add minced garlic and chili, they will float beautifully on the surface.

Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 5 minutes, skimming off any foam to keep it clear.

After 5 minutes, turn off the heat, let the sauce cool, and then add minced garlic (about 2 cloves) and chili (about 3-5 peppers). This recipe makes enough sauce for 5-6 servings of Cơm Tấm.

How to Make Scallion Oil

Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan, heat until the oil is sizzling, then add the chopped scallions. Stir for about 10 seconds, then remove from heat to keep the scallions bright green. This scallion oil will be drizzled over the grilled pork and rice to add a rich, savory flavor to the Cơm Tấm.

You can also add some crispy pork fat to the scallion oil for an even more flavorful dish.