MM Bon Appétit

If you’re looking for flavors to awaken your senses and shake up your day, look no further. This dish packs a huge punch with several powerful ingredients all competing for the attention of your taste buds- yet somehow working together seamlessly. The lemongrass, along with other aromatics bring layers of flavor to the dish, while the chili and chili oil add that kick of heat that burns just a bit and in a good way and the red bell pepper balances out this heat with its sweetness.

You’ll sometimes find this dish made with wild boar meat in Vietnam. Since wild boar meat has a distinctively gamey taste, it requires the counterbalance from the strong flavors of lemongrass and chili. Wild boar skin is also very thick and more chewy than pork (almost crunchy), which provides a very unique texture.

But don’t worry, these flavor combinations work perfectly well with regular pork. I recommend buying skin-on pork belly for the most decadent experience and choosing a piece with a thick & smooth layer of skin, but you can go with a different cut as well.

To make this halal or kosher, I would recommend substituting with lamb, especially lamb belly if possible.

INGREDIENTS

• Pork - Thịt heo: I recommend buying skin-on pork belly for the most decadent experience and choosing a piece with a thick & smooth layer of skin, but you can go with a different cut as well. To make this halal or kosher, I would recommend substituting with lamb, especially lamb belly if possible.
• Lemongrass - Sả: a plant commonly used in several Southeast cuisines. As the name suggests, it has a distinct citrusy, floral, somewhat herbal scent and taste. It is also used in other Vietnamese recipes such as bò lá lốt, hến xúc bánh tráng, and bún bò xào.
• Red bell pepper - Ớt chuông đỏ
• Green onion - Hành lá
• Shallot - Hành khô/tím
• Garlic - Tỏi
• Bird’s eye chilies - Ớt hiểm
• Oyster sauce - Dầu hào/hàu: a thick dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and water. It is sweet, savory, umami and can add a lot of depth to a dish. It is commonly used in Chinese, Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, and Khmer cuisine. Click here for more recipes with oyster sauce.
• Bouillon - Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Fish sauce - Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Chili oil - Dầu ớt or Sa tế
• Sugar: any type will work
• Ground black pepper - Tiêu đen xay
• Vegetable oil - Dầu thực vật

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut pork into ~5-wide pieces if needed, then thinly slice pork into ~1/2 cm-thick pieces.
2. Cut off root end and remove 1-2 tough outer layers of lemongrass. Thinly slice and mince well or pulse with a food processor.
3. Peel and mince shallot.
4. Add the pork into a bowl, along with all the ingredients in the marinade section and mix well to coat all the meat evenly.
5. Set aside and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, prep other ingredients.
6. Cut off root end and remove 1-2 tough outer layers of lemongrass. Thinly slice diagonally.
7. Peel and thinly slice shallot.
8. Remove roots and cut green onions into 1.5-inch lengths.
9. Remove the stem and seeds, and cut bell pepper into bite-sized pieces.
10. Thinly slice bird’s eye chilies diagonally.
11. Peel and mince garlic.
12. Once the meat is done marinating, heat oil in a pan on medium.
13. Add garlic, shallot, and lemongrass and sauté for 30 seconds.
14. Pour in pork and any remaining marinating liquid. Sauté for 1.5 minutes.
15. Add bell pepper and continuing sautéing for 3 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink.
16. Add in the bird’s eye chili, chili oil, and green onion. Mix well until the chili oil coats everything evenly, add more fish sauce to taste if needed, and remove from heat.
17. Serve hot with rice!