Craving a weeknight meal that explodes with flavor?
Get ready to transform humble ingredients into Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls, a dish so delicious it will become your new favorite.
Let's dive in and discover how to create this surprisingly simple yet intensely satisfying culinary masterpiece.
Ingredients
To nail this dish, you've gotta gather your goodies—think of it like assembling your squad for an epic food adventure! First, you'll need 600 to 800g of chicken thighs or breasts.
Now, prep your flavor bombs: lemongrass, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Don't skimp on the fish sauce—it's the secret weapon! This is unlike the savory, sweet, and slightly salty traditional dish, which uses pork belly.
For the Nuoc Cham sauce, grab fish sauce, rice vinegar, white sugar, water, garlic, red chili, and more lime juice. Trust me, this stuff's liquid gold.
Onto the noodle bowl essentials: oil, vermicelli noodles, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, sliced red chili, and lime wedges. Yes, it is a lot, but trust me, it'll be fun! This combination of fresh goodness is gonna blow your mind!
Instructions
Alright, let's plunge into the instructions, and I'll guide you through making this awesome dish! First, grab your chicken and marinade bits – go ahead and mix 'em and let it sit pretty for at least an hour.
Next up, heat up half a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. We're talking cooking time! Give the chicken about 6-8 minutes total, flipping until it's a beautiful dark golden brown.
Now, let's whip up that Nuoc Cham sauce! Mix all the ingredients – fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili, and lime juice – until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust it: more lime if you like tang, or chili for a kick!
For the noodles, soak 'em in hot water for 3 minutes; or check your packet instructions to see what they say. Grab yer noodles, veggies, herbs, and pork, and make your bowl. Dig in, yum!
Recipe Notes
Now that we've covered the main steps, let's plunge into some important recipe notes, shall we?
First up, lemongrass! Peel off the tough outer layers to get to the softer white part. Bruise it – the back of your knife works great. Don't chop it too small; you want to pick it out easily later. Or, you can sub in 1 tbsp of lemongrass paste, easy peasy!
Fish sauce is a must for that authentic flavour. Don't be scared – it won't taste fishy once you mix it with other ingredients! This dish, like Thit Kho To, benefits from that complex umami flavor that fish sauce provides.
Chilli? Go wild — use any spicy chilli or even chilli paste. Adjust to your taste buds! Make it kid-friendly by serving the chilli on the side – genius, right? For gluten-free, make sure you use GF tamari. You can sub the vegetables with whatever you like!
Nutrition Information
Switching gears, let's talk about what's inside this amazing dish—the nutrition facts! Each serving clocks in at around 540 calories, so it's not too bad for a flavour-packed meal.
Now, let's break it down. You're looking at about 65.2 grams of carbs, 39.9grams of protein—that's a good boost!, and 13.6 grams of fat. Plus, you get 3.9 grams of fiber—always a good thing. What's the fiber, you ask? Keeps everything moving along!
There's also about 16.9 grams of sugar, so keep that in mind if you're watching your sugar intake. And sodium? It's a little higher at 1963 mg; fish sauce can do that! But hey, it's all about balance, right?
Short Recipe Version
Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs pork belly, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Fresh vegetables (cucumber, carrots, lettuce), for serving
- Nuoc Cham (recipe follows)
Nuoc Cham Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 red chili, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine pork, fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. Marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add marinated pork and cook until browned and caramelised, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Prepare Nuoc Cham: Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, chili, and garlic.
- Serve caramelised pork over rice with fresh vegetables. Drizzle with Nuoc Cham.
Nutrition Information (Per Serving, Estimated):
- Calories: 650
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 40g
- Carbohydrates: 30g