Name: Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Saigon Broken Rice with Pork)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 165 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 320 g broken rice (gạo tấm), rinsed; 480 ml water, for rice; adjust to rice-cooker instructions if needed; 4 bone-in pork chops (about 600 g total), about 1.5 cm thick, excess surface fat trimmed; 30 ml fish sauce; 20 ml soy sauce; check label for wheat; 20 g granulated sugar; 15 g honey; 20 g tender inner lemongrass, minced; 10 g garlic, minced; 20 g shallot, minced; 15 ml neutral oil, for marinade and grill; 1 g ground black pepper; 150 g cleaned raw pork skin; 150 g lean pork shoulder, in one piece; 3 g fine salt, for simmering water; 20 g toasted rice powder (thính); 250 g ground pork, not extra-lean; 4 large eggs; separate 1 yolk for the top and use 3 whole eggs in the mixture; 10 g dried wood-ear mushrooms, rehydrated, drained and finely chopped; 25 g dried mung-bean glass noodles, soaked until pliable, drained and cut short; 20 g shallot, minced; 15 ml fish sauce; 1 g ground black pepper; 5 ml neutral oil, for greasing the dish; 150 g daikon, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks; 100 g carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks; 100 ml rice vinegar; 100 ml water; 20 g granulated sugar; 3 g fine salt

Saigon broken rice with grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin, steamed egg loaf, pickles, cucumber and dipping sauce — Cơm tấm sườn bì chả served with scallion oil and nước chấm.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 65 minutes

Passive 60 minutes

Total 2 hours 45 minutes

Calories About 1,240 kcal per serving (estimate; assumes all allocated oil and dipping sauce are consumed)

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Saigon Broken Rice with Pork)

This Saigon-style plate brings together gạo tấm (broken rice), a lemongrass and fish-sauce pork chop, bì (fine strands of cooked pork and pork skin tossed with toasted rice powder), and chả trứng, a steamed pork-and-egg loaf. Quick-pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, scallion oil and nước chấm make the plate bright and complete. Toppings vary among households and stalls; this is one practical home-kitchen version.

The name cơm tấm refers to rice grains broken during milling, which cook up tender and distinct. In Saigon, cơm tấm is commonly served with sườn (pork chop), bì (seasoned pork and shredded skin) and chả (a savoury steamed egg-and-pork loaf). Fish-sauce dressing, pickles and scallion oil balance the rich, grilled toppings. The exact combination is not fixed, and vendors have their own marinades and accompaniments.

This recipe coordinates the components so they can be cooked at home without rushing. The pork chop marinates while the pickles cool; the loaf steams and the rice cooks while the bì simmers. Use toasted rice powder (thính) for the characteristic nutty coating on bì. Check the pork temperatures with a thermometer, since browning alone does not establish safe doneness.

Ingredients

Broken rice and pork chops

320 g broken rice (gạo tấm), rinsed
480 ml water, for rice; adjust to rice-cooker instructions if needed
4 bone-in pork chops (about 600 g total), about 1.5 cm thick, excess surface fat trimmed
30 ml fish sauce
20 ml soy sauce; check label for wheat
20 g granulated sugar
15 g honey
20 g tender inner lemongrass, minced
10 g garlic, minced
20 g shallot, minced
15 ml neutral oil, for marinade and grill
1 g ground black pepper

Bì shredded pork skin

150 g cleaned raw pork skin
150 g lean pork shoulder, in one piece
3 g fine salt, for simmering water
20 g toasted rice powder (thính)

Chả trứng steamed egg-and-pork loaf

250 g ground pork, not extra-lean
4 large eggs; separate 1 yolk for the top and use 3 whole eggs in the mixture
10 g dried wood-ear mushrooms, rehydrated, drained and finely chopped
25 g dried mung-bean glass noodles, soaked until pliable, drained and cut short
20 g shallot, minced
15 ml fish sauce
1 g ground black pepper
5 ml neutral oil, for greasing the dish

Pickles, scallion oil and nước chấm

150 g daikon, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
100 g carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
100 ml rice vinegar
100 ml water
20 g granulated sugar
3 g fine salt
40 g scallions, thinly sliced
30 ml neutral oil, heated for scallion oil
45 ml fish sauce
90 ml water
45 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
30 g granulated sugar
8 g garlic, minced
3 g red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
200 g cucumber, sliced for serving

Method

Quick-pickle the vegetables. Warm the vinegar, 100 ml water, 20 g sugar and 3 g salt just until dissolved. Pour over the daikon and carrot. Cool, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Marinate the chops. Mix fish sauce, soy sauce, 20 g sugar, honey, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, 15 ml oil and pepper. Coat the chops, cover and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Keep them chilled until grilling.
Cook the rice and bì. Cook the rinsed broken rice with 480 ml water in a rice cooker or covered saucepan. Simmer the pork skin in salted water until tender; simmer the pork shoulder until tender and at least 74°C in the centre. Cool safely. Slice both into fine strands and toss together with toasted rice powder.
Steam the chả. Soak the mushrooms and noodles as described, then drain. Mix the ground pork, 3 whole eggs, mushrooms, noodles, shallot, 15 ml fish sauce and pepper. Spread in a greased shallow dish and steam until the centre reaches 71°C. Brush with the reserved yolk and steam uncovered for 5 more minutes. Rest briefly, then cut into wedges.
Grill the chops. Heat a grill or heavy skillet to medium-high and lightly oil it. Grill the chops, turning as needed, until browned and the thickest part away from the bone reaches 63°C. Rest on a clean plate for at least 3 minutes.
Make the accompaniments. Pour 30 ml hot, shimmering oil over the sliced scallions. For nước chấm, stir together 45 ml fish sauce, 90 ml water, lime juice and 30 g sugar until dissolved; add garlic and optional chilli. Slice the cucumber.
Plate and serve. Divide rice among four plates. Add one chop, one-quarter of the bì and chả, pickles and cucumber to each. Spoon scallion oil over the rice and serve nước chấm alongside. Refrigerate cooked components within 2 hours at or below 4°C; reheat leftovers to 74°C.

Practical

Practical guidance

Start the pickle and chop marinade first so their passive time overlaps with cooking. Keep the bì strands fine and toss them with thính only after they have cooled, so the toasted rice powder stays fragrant rather than damp. If the grill flares because of the sweet marinade, move the chop briefly to a cooler area and continue cooking until the centre reaches its required temperature.

Troubleshooting

The chop darkens before it is cooked through: reduce the heat or move it away from direct flame; check the thickest section with a thermometer. The chả is loose or watery: drain the soaked noodles and mushrooms well, use a shallow dish, and steam until its centre reaches 71°C. The bì clumps together: cool the cooked strands before adding thính, then separate and toss them gently.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: One complete plate as described above

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeOne complete plate as described above
Calories1,240 kcal
Carbohydrate92 g
Protein65 g
Fat65 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium2,200 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains eggs, fish (fish sauce) and soy; soy sauce may contain wheat. Check product labels for additional allergens and cross-contact information. Keep raw pork and egg separate from cooked foods and ready-to-eat vegetables. Cook each pork chop to 63°C in its thickest section away from the bone, then rest at least 3 minutes. Cook the pork shoulder for bì until tender and at least 74°C; steam the ground-pork-and-egg loaf to 71°C in its centre. Refrigerate rice and all cooked components within 2 hours at or below 4°C, store separately, and reheat leftovers to 74°C.

To finish

Serve the rice, sườn, bì and chả together so each bite can combine their different textures.
Add pickles, cucumber, scallion oil and nước chấm to taste at the table.

Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Saigon Broken Rice with Pork)

Ingredients

Broken rice and pork chops

Bì shredded pork skin

Chả trứng steamed egg-and-pork loaf

Pickles, scallion oil and nước chấm

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Chả Giò (Southern Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)

Mì Quảng (Quảng Nam Turmeric Noodles with Pork and Shrimp)

Cao lầu (Hội An Chewy Noodles with Braised Pork)