![Overhead shot of a bowl of vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork chops, carrot-daikon pickles, cucumbers, perilla/shiso, mint, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and a few stray flowering chives. A small bowl of nuoc cham is close at hand, as well as a perilla-leaf-lined plate piled with more of the grilled pork chops and a bowl of sliced cucumbers and lime wedges.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.seriouseats.com/thmb/tzuAFkwaooRxAgGO73kI0VOGF6Y=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__images__2017__06__20170604-vietnamese-pork-chops-emily-matt-clifton-1-6a93fa9a2f874b05a545532f56caa23c.jpg)
Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton
Why It Works
- A baking soda bath helps keep the pork tender and juicy.
- Salt from soy sauce and fish sauce in the marinade also helps the meat retain juices during cooking.
Thịt heo nướng xả—grilled pork chops—are a staple in Vietnamese restaurants. But they're so easy to make that there's no reason they shouldn't be a staple at home, too, especially during grilling season. Kenji has written about this type of pork chop before, but whereas he serves his over hot rice, we often go for another popular presentation: serving the chops with cold rice noodles. The noodles make it the ultimate refreshing summer dish, almost a noodle salad of sorts. Between the sizzling charred chops, the chilled rice noodles, plenty of fresh and quick-pickled vegetables, and the nuoc cham, a bracing savory-tart dressing, it's everything you want on a hot day.
The key to this dish is a long marinade using a few ingredients at the heart of the Vietnamese pantry. That includes lemongrass, a good dose of garlic, and a mix of fish sauce and sugar (palm sugar is traditional, but light brown works just fine).
We'll be honest: We often take the easiest route with the marinade by puréeing the ingredients in a food processor. But we feel compelled to at least point out that this is one of those times when a mortar and pestle and some elbow grease will deliver even better results. The difference between crushing the aromatics, which breaks open more cells, and chopping them, which cuts them into little bits and ruptures fewer cells, is noticeable. So, take your pick.
As for the meat, we tested our two favorite cuts of pork for this recipe: boneless country-style ribs (cut into thin strips) and thin-cut pork chops (preferably from the fattier blade end). Both have plenty of marbling, which is important to keep them from drying out on the grill. Both cuts performed really well, so the choice is, once again, up to you. The ribs were extremely tender and juicy, though the chops had a bit more flavor, and a bone to gnaw on.
Because these cuts are so thin, there's a definite risk of overcooking, especially if you use charcoal and aren't practiced at regulating its temperature. You want high heat for this. A grill that isn't hot enough will take longer to cook the chops, which could result in a tough piece of meat. Nobody wants that. Luckily, there's a backup plan.
![A close-up of a bowl of the vermicelli. A grilled pork chops sits atop the noodles, garnished with crushed peanuts, and pickled and fresh vegetables sit alongside. Cilantro, perilla/shiso, and mint sprigs are scattered over the bowl, along with a few chive blossoms and lime slices.](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/YT8d77sO4zGpwzQMe3x44O7m5PE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2017__06__20170604-vietnamese-pork-chops-emily-matt-clifton-3-fb5ae31e64b943d2be754e742084adb3.jpg)
Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton
The sugar in the marinade helps a good char develop on the chops quickly, but we still like a little extra insurance. In this case, we turn to the same technique we use in our recipe for stir-fried lo mein noodles with pork and vegetables: a quick soak in a baking soda solution. Thanks to the alkalizing effects of the baking soda (plus the moisture-retaining effects of salt from fish sauce and soy sauce in the marinade), the pork stays juicy and tender, even as it chars and crisps on its exterior.
Note that this won't work for bigger cuts, such as thick-cut pork chops or a roast, because it only affects the surface area of the meat. The baking soda needs only 15 minutes to work on the meat (though it won't do any harm if left longer), after which the pork should be rinsed and placed in the marinade bag for at least 30 minutes. Marinating for longer will give the salt more time to dissolve the pork's muscle proteins, helping it retain moisture later.
As we mentioned above, thịt heo nướng xả is often simply served with rice, as Kenji does in his recipe. Our variation uses cold vermicelli noodles and an assortment of accoutrements, like fresh and pickled vegetables and herbs. The combination of hot-off-the-grill pork with cool noodles makes for a fantastic contrast. As a bonus, many brands of rice noodles don't even have to be cooked on the stovetop: Bring a kettle of water to a boil, and soak the noodles for five to eight minutes—noodles can vary quite a bit, so follow the package instructions, and check for doneness every few minutes—then drain and rinse with cold water.
As for the vegetables, we like fresh sliced cucumber and quick-pickled carrot and daikon. You can pickle them up to a week ahead of time, but you can also use them right away—they're cut into a thin julienne, so the pickling brine does its work very quickly. And if you're making your own nuoc cham, a sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chiles, you can get that out of the way in advance, too.
Take your pick for the fresh herbs. We threw together a mix of our favorites, including mint, chives, cilantro, and a few leaves of shiso, called tía tô in Vietnamese. Basil can be a good choice, too.
Last but not least, a sprinkle of crushed peanuts adds another layer of texture. This dish has so much going for it that it'll seem like it came straight out of a professional restaurant kitchen. That's pretty sweet for a home-grilled meal.
![A platter of the Vietnamese grilled pork chops, garnished with herbs and flanked by bowls of nuoc cham and crushed peanuts.](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/SzyIrpj2tlis8-vrVzzT-gRTrxI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2017__06__20170604-vietnamese-pork-chops-emily-matt-clifton-5-0e5f8a0a241e489ca405ba6e4b7c5bf4.jpg)
Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton
June 2017
Recipe Details
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops With Chilled Rice Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
For the Marinated Pork:
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1 teaspoon (6g) baking soda
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1 1/2 pounds (680g) thin-cut pork chops, preferably from the blade end, or boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1/4-inch strips (see note)
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3 stalks lemongrass, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 ounce; 30g after trimming)
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3 tablespoons shallot (from 1 large shallot), roughly chopped (about 3 ounces; 85g)
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4 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped (about 3/4 ounce; 20g)
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1/3 cup palm or light brown sugar (about 3 ounces; 85g)
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1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce
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2 tablespoons (30ml) low-sodium soy sauce
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1 teaspoon (2g) cornstarch
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2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
For Serving:
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1 (14-ounce) package rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water, drained, and chilled (according to package directions)
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1/4 cup (6g) coarsely chopped fresh mint and/or perilla (shiso) leaves
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1/4 cup (6g) cilantro leaves and tender stems
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1 cup thinly sliced Persian cucumbers (about 4 cucumbers; 100g)
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1/2 cup (3 ounces) crushed unsalted peanuts
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Nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
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Lime wedges
Directions
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For the Marinated Pork: In a large zipper-lock bag, combine baking soda with 1/2 cup (120ml) water and swish until baking soda is dissolved. Add pork, press out air, and seal bag. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Drain pork, rinse under cold running water, and pat dry. Rinse zipper-lock bag and reserve.
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Meanwhile, if using a mortar and pestle, crush lemongrass, shallot, garlic, and palm sugar to form a rough paste. If using a food processor, combine lemongrass, shallot, garlic, and palm sugar and pulse, scraping down sides, to form a rough paste.
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Transfer paste to a bowl and whisk in fish sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. Add pork, tossing to coat. Transfer pork to reserved zipper-lock bag, press out air, and seal. Marinate at room temperature, turning pork once or twice, for 30 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate up to 12 hours.
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Meanwhile, light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
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Grill pork directly over high heat, turning frequently and shifting to cooler side of grill if there are excessive flare-ups, until pork is charred and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes total.
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Fill serving bowls with chilled noodles, then top with pork, herbs, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, and peanuts. Drizzle everything with nuoc cham and serve with lime wedges.
Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton
Special Equipment
Mortar and pestle or food processor, grill, chimney starter
Notes
Blade-end pork chops are fattier, which means they'll turn out juicier and more tender on the grill, even when fully cooked through. Boneless pork ribs, cut into strips, can work well, too.
Read More
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
584 | Calories |
27g | Fat |
44g | Carbs |
44g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 584 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 27g | 34% |
Saturated Fat 6g | 31% |
Cholesterol 113mg | 38% |
Sodium 1813mg | 79% |
Total Carbohydrate 44g | 16% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
Total Sugars 19g | |
Protein 44g | |
Vitamin C 15mg | 75% |
Calcium 79mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 15% |
Potassium 1058mg | 23% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |