One of the most popular com tam dishes is Com Suon or Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork with Broken Rice. This popular Vietnamese rice dish consists of lemongrass pork chops, broken rice garnished with mo hanh, pickled vegetables, raw vegetables, and sometimes a fried egg, all served with nuoc cham. It’s a wholesome dish that works for every meal of the day!
Brunch is a big deal everywhere. In recent years, it’s become more of an event than a mash up of lunch and dinner. In Vietnamese culture, it’s no surprise that we have different ideas on what should be on a brunch menu. One dish that I’ve grown used to having not only for brunch but also for other meals is com suon. Com suon is a really popular rice dish in Vietnamese cuisine. It has lemongrass pork chops, broken rice garnished with mo hanh, fresh vegetables, pickled vegetables, and a fried egg, all served on one plate.
What I think belongs in Com Tam
To me, a plate of com tam has a protein, pickled vegetables like pickled carrots and daikon, slices of cucumber and/or tomatoes, sometimes cha trung hap, and of course a side of nuoc cham for dipping! There are a variety of com tam dishes. There’s Com Ga (rice plate with lemongrass chicken), Com Tom Cang Rim (rice plate with jumbo shrimp), and of course Com Suon Nuong (rice plate with grilled pork chops). In the past few years, I’ve loved doing a more modern version with caramelized lamb chops.
Some deets about key ingredients
Lemongrass pork chops
- Pork chops – I used bone in pork chops for this recipe. You can also use pork chops without the bone, but I find that the bone helps give the meat better flavor.
- Brown sugar – I used dark brown sugar to add sweetness and color to the pork chop. You can also use light brown sugar. If you don’t want to use sugar, I would recommend substituting with another tablespoon of honey.
- Oyster sauce – If you can’t find oyster sauce, I would leave it out.
- Vegetable oil – You can substitute with any kind of light oil like grapeseed oil or olive oil.
- Lemongrass – Lemongrass gives the marinade a grassy, citrus flavor. Substitute with lemongrass paste or if you can’t find that, a tablespoon of lime juice. Check out my guide on how to use lemongrass for tips on how to cut this ingredient!
- Shallots – This adds more flavor to the pork chop. Substitute with a small yellow onion if you can’t find shallots.
Other ingredients
- Broken rice – Broken rice looks like really small, half sized grains of rice. If you can’t find broken rice, I would recommend any kind of long grain rice like jasmine rice.
- Fresh vegetables (cucumbers & tomatoes) – In a traditional com tam, you usually have a piece of tomato and cucumber on the plate to help balance out the rich, savory flavors of the pork chop and dipping sauce.
- Fried egg – This is optional, but I like mine served with a fried egg.
- Scallion oil – This is also optional, but I love topping the pork and rice with scallion oil or mo hanh.
- Pickled carrots & daikon – An optional topping but I love how the pickled carrots and daikon contrast with the umami flavors on the plate. To make pickled carrots and daikon, grate 1 carrot and 1/2 a daikon. Mix 1 cup of water, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt together. Add the carrots, daikon, and liquid to a jar. Let sit for 3 hours or overnight. You can use any kind of light vinegar for pickling. Other good options are white vinegar and rice wine vinegar.
How to make com suon
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade into a large bowl and mix. Add the pork chops and marinade to a ziploc bag. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. I would highly recommend doing it overnight for the best flavor. After they are done marinating, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put a wire rack onto a large baking sheet. Place the marinated pork chops on top. Reserve the marinade for later. Bake the pork chops for 15 minutes. Turn the pork chops over. Brush with the marinade and bake for another 15 minutes. Note that the cook time will vary based on how thick your pork chops are, so adjust your cook time accordingly. Mine were thick, so I baked them for 30 minutes on each side. A done pork chop will have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. While the pork chops are cooking prepare your toppings. Cook your rice. Slice your vegetables. Make your scallion oil. And fry your eggs. Serve the pork chops with these toppings and a side of Vietnamese dipping sauce.
What is the best kind of pork to use for com suon?
Thin cut pork chops with bone will provide you with the best results because thin pork chops are easier to cook, and the bones give the meat a better flavor.
Use the oven for easy clean up
Traditionally, this dish is made using a grill. However, I live in a very small apartment, and it doesn’t make sense for me to grill indoors if I don’t have to. It’s also a harder clean up job. That’s why I used the oven for this recipe. It provides good results with half the clean up.
How do you eat com tam?
Believe it or not, there is a specific way Vietnamese people eat this dish. They drizzle Vietnamese dipping sauce over the rice, so it can soak up its umami goodness. And then they cut off a piece of the pork chop, dip it in the dipping sauce, and eat the pork and rice in one bite. However, I am a supporter of eating a dishes however you want, so eat it however you want!
Did you make this dish?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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