Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
Ever wish you had a recipe for ground pork that was grey and tasteless? Look no further! This recipe is easy to make and this will make its way into your regular rotation of meals to cook. This is a very flexible protein and you can put it on pretty much anything and will work great! Combine this with the Vietnamese Inspired Mexican Relish, throw it in a brioche bun, and there’s your easy lunch meal prep for a week. This is also a great thing to throw on top of rice and pairs great with a salad on the side.
You will notice that the ingredient list is pretty short and you almost everything is a staple in the kitchen! Here are a couple notes about the ingredient choices for this recipe.
Lemongrass: Not a staple in everybody’s kitchen, but once you have it you’ll never go back to not having it. There are various versions you can purchase and I choose to use the pre chopped options from the store that lives in the freezer. You can also purchase lemongrass paste or fresh lemongrass. Make sure if you’re using the fresh lemongrass you give it a good smack or crush it before chopping it up to ensure optimal flavour. Also make sure that the lemongrass is very finely chopped or a paste. The texture of lemongrass on its own is very much like chewing on straw… Highly do not recommend.
You will notice that the ingredient list is pretty short and you almost everything is a staple in the kitchen! Here are a couple notes about the ingredient choices for this recipe.
Lemongrass: Not a staple in everybody’s kitchen, but once you have it you’ll never go back to not having it. There are various versions you can purchase and I choose to use the pre chopped options from the store that lives in the freezer. You can also purchase lemongrass paste or fresh lemongrass. Make sure if you’re using the fresh lemongrass you give it a good smack or crush it before chopping it up to ensure optimal flavour. Also make sure that the lemongrass is very finely chopped or a paste. The texture of lemongrass on its own is very much like chewing on straw… Highly do not recommend.
Chili: Thai red chilis are a great choice for this! But use whatever you have. If you don’t have any fresh chilis around, you can use crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, or skip it altogether if you don’t like spice.
Fish Sauce: Contrary to belief, this won’t make your dish fishy at all. It gives a rich umami flavour to your dish and is a very common ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. If you are strongly opposed to fish sauce, you can substitute with a little bit of MSG. Before you come at me about MSG, it is a great product that is not as unhealthy as once believed and is found in many products you don’t even think about (check the ingredient list on Doritos). But like everything, please use it in moderation.
Brown Sugar: The real MVP of this dish. This dish just doesn’t work without it. It gives the sweet that perfectly balances the salty and has the wonderful molasses flavour. It is the reason that the meat can caramelize the way it does and makes this dish absolutely addictive and have you going back for seconds.
Now that we’ve talked about the ingredients, the process.
Start with heating up your cooking oil then throw in the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili. Let the aromas “explode” a bit and fill the room with that wonderful smell. Let the garlic get to a nice golden brown then add the pork. This is the important part, make sure to break up the pork completely. This allows for maximum surface area for all the sauce and sugar to stick to. No need to drain the pan either, all those juices make the dish that much tastier.
Once the pork has turned white and is cooked, add the sugar and fish sauce, and mix well. The secret technique to getting the perfect caramelization is coming up now. Let all of the juices cook out and don’t move the meat. I repeat, don’t move the meat. Let the Maillard reaction do the magic. This process will take about 2 or so minutes and will start browning the bottom. But! We’re not done. Now you mix up the meat and then let it sit again. Let it sit for about 30 seconds and repeat this process until you are happy with the consistency. The longer you do this, the crispier it will get.
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
Author: Justin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 medium white onion
1 Thai red chili
2 teaspoons of finely cut or grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 pound of ground pork
1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper
2 pinches of Salt or to taste
5 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of lemongrass finely chopped or paste
1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or sub with 1/4 teaspoon of MSG)
1 stalk of green onion (garnish)
Instructions
1. Finely dice the white onion and garlic and set aside.
2. Finely slice the chili and set aside.
3. Finely slice the fresh ginger and set aside.
4. Heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan at high heat.
5. Add the white onion, chili, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Fry until garlic is golden brown.
6. Add the ground pork to the pan. Cook until the meat has turned white. Thoroughly break up the meat.
7. Add brown sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Mix well.
8. Do not agitate the meat. Let all of the liquid cook off and sugar caramelize. This will take approximately 2 minutes.
9. Stir the meat thoroughly and let sit for 30 seconds to further caramelize. Repeat the process until desired consistency.
10. Serve!
