Com tam is Saigon's broken rice plate: grilled lemongrass pork chop served over cracked, broken grains of rice with pickled vegetables, a fried egg, and a drizzle of fish sauce. You make it by marinating and grilling the pork, cooking the broken rice separately, and plating everything together with a sweet chili fish sauce.
Broken rice, the small fractured grains left over from milling, was once considered lower quality and priced for the poor in southern Vietnam. Street vendors in Saigon built a full meal around it anyway, and com tam is now one of the city's most iconic dishes, broken grains and all.
The rice itself has a slightly different texture than whole grain rice, softer and a little sticky, and that texture is part of what makes the dish recognizable.
What Actually Matters
Pound the pork chop thin, about 1/4 inch, before marinating. Thin meat takes the lemongrass marinade through in 30 minutes and grills fast enough over high heat to char the edges without drying out the center, which is the entire appeal of the dish's grilled pork.
Vietnamese Com Tam, Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
- 2 stalks lemongrass, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups broken rice (or jasmine rice)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- 1 cup daikon radish, julienned
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce, for the dressing
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, extra, minced
- 1 red chili, minced
- Sliced cucumber and scallion oil, for garnish
Method
- Combine the carrot and daikon with rice vinegar and sugar and let pickle for at least 30 minutes.
- Whisk lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and oil into a marinade. Coat the pounded pork chops and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Cook the broken rice according to the package directions, using slightly less water than you would for whole grain rice.
- Grill or pan sear the pork chops over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
- Fry the eggs sunny side up in a lightly oiled pan.
- Whisk the dressing fish sauce, warm water, sugar, lime juice, extra garlic, and chili together.
- Plate the rice with a grilled pork chop, a fried egg, drained pickled vegetables, and cucumber. Spoon the dressing over the top.
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes marinating). Cook time: 20 minutes. Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 610 | 36g | 22g | 66g |
This is a calculated estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a lab verified figure.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
Leftover pork keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats well in a hot pan. If you can't find broken rice, jasmine rice cooked with slightly less water gets close enough. A common addition is a small square of steamed pork and egg meatloaf, called cha trung, alongside the chop for a fuller plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is broken rice, exactly?
The small fragments of rice grain broken during milling, sold and cooked separately from whole grain rice. It cooks up softer and slightly stickier.
Can I use chicken instead of pork?
Yes, a pounded chicken thigh takes the same lemongrass marinade well and grills in about the same time.
Why is my pork dry after grilling?
It likely wasn't pounded thin enough, or was left over high heat too long. Thin cuts cook in minutes; watch it closely.
Is the fried egg necessary?
Traditional and expected on a full com tam plate, but the dish holds up fine without it if you'd rather skip it.
More From Wine Drop Cookery
This recipe is one of nine on the Vietnamese recipes hub. See kitchen essentials and pots and cookware, or browse everything in the shop.
I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
If a recipe is missing something you needed, or a step didn't make sense, tell me. Get in touch and I'll fix it.
Cook Bolder, Serve Wiser, Eat Better.