Cơm Tấm Rice Burger
A café-style twist: crispy, glazed broken-rice buns sandwiching lemongrass pork, a fried egg, đồ chua and scallion mayo – cơm tấm you can hold in one hand.
Method
Pound the pork to about 8 mm thick and cut it into pieces the size of your rice buns (about 9 cm). Finely mince the garlic and the tender part of the lemongrass and mix with the fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Coat the pork and marinate in the fridge for .
Add in this stepBoneless pork shoulder (collar) steaks 240 gGarlic cloves (for the marinade) 2Lemongrass stalks 1Fish sauce (for the marinade) 4 tspSugar (for the marinade) 2 tspGround black pepper ½ tsp
Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water 2–3 times, swirling with your hand, until the water is only slightly cloudy, then drain well. Put the rice and water in a 16 cm pot with a tight lid. Bring to the boil on high heat, then turn down to low heat, cover and cook for without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the grains finish steaming and turn fluffy. A rice cooker works too: use the same amount of water.
Add in this stepBroken rice (or jasmine rice) 160 gWater (for the rice) 200 ml
high heat→low heatMake the đồ chua (quick pickles): cut the carrot and daikon into thin matchsticks about 5 cm long. Toss them with the salt and leave for , until they soften and release water. Squeeze them firmly, rinse briefly and squeeze again, then mix with the vinegar and sugar. They are ready as soon as the sugar dissolves and taste even better after an hour.
Add in this stepCarrot 50 gDaikon radish 50 gSalt 1 pinchRice vinegar (for the pickles) 1½ tbspSugar (for the pickles) 1½ tsp
While the rice is still warm, sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix with a wet spatula, pressing the grains together so they turn slightly sticky. Divide into 4 equal portions. Line a 9 cm ring or a small bowl with cling film, pack in one portion and press firmly into a flat 1.5 cm disc, compacting the edges well. Repeat; the firmer you press, the less the buns fall apart.
Add in this stepCornstarch (cornflour) 2 tsp
Heat part of the oil in a 26 cm non-stick pan on medium heat. Fry the rice buns for per side without moving them, until a golden crust forms (4 at a time). Mix the fish sauce and honey, brush it over both sides and cook for another per side, until glossy and lightly caramelised. Watch closely, as honey burns quickly.
Add in this stepNeutral oil 1¼ tbspFish sauce (for the glaze) 2 tspHoney 2 tsp
medium heatWipe the pan, add more oil and cook the pork on medium heat for per side, until golden and no longer pink inside (63 °C). Lift it out, add the last of the oil and fry the eggs for , breaking the yolk with a spatula and flipping once so they are cooked through and don't drip out of the burger.
Add in this stepNeutral oil 1¾ tbspEggs 2
medium heatMix the mayonnaise with the finely sliced spring onions. Build each burger: rice bun, lettuce, pork, fried egg, well-squeezed đồ chua, a spoonful of scallion mayo and a second rice bun on top. Wrap the lower half in baking paper so it is easy to hold.
Add in this stepMayonnaise 2 tbspSpring onions (scallions) 1Lettuce leaves 2
Cook's tip
If the buns crack, the rice was too cool or not pressed firmly enough: shape them while the rice is warm. Short-grain rice holds together even better than broken or jasmine rice. Shaped buns can be chilled for a few hours before frying.
Cooking it at camp
Shape the rice buns at home, wrap them individually and pack them with the marinated pork in an iced cooler. At the campsite, crisp the buns in an oiled cast-iron skillet on the burner or grill, grill the pork over charcoal and assemble.