Charcoal Cơm Tấm Sườn Chả with Steamed Egg Meatloaf

Method

1. Marinate the chops: finely mince the garlic, shallots and the tender lower part of the lemongrass and mix with the fish sauce, condensed milk, half the pepper and the oil. Condensed milk is the street-stall trick: it tenderises the meat and gives a glossy, caramelised crust on the grill. Notch the fat around the edge of each chop every 2 cm, pound to an even 1 cm, coat well, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 h, best overnight.

   Add in this stepBone-in pork chops (about 1 cm thick, ~180 g each) 2Garlic cloves (for the marinade) 3Shallots (for the marinade) 1Lemongrass stalks 1Fish sauce (for the marinade) 1½ tbspSweetened condensed milk 2 tspGround black pepper 0.4 tspNeutral oil 1 tbsp

2. Make the chả trứng mixture: soak the glass noodles and mushrooms in warm water for 20 min, until soft. Squeeze them dry, cut the noodles into 2 cm lengths and finely chop the mushrooms and shallot. Separate one egg and keep its yolk aside for the top. With a spoon, mix the minced pork, all the remaining eggs (including the white of the separated egg), the noodles, mushrooms, shallot, fish sauce and the rest of the pepper until sticky.

   Add in this stepDried glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli) 10 gDried shiitake or wood ear mushrooms 1Minced pork (not too lean) 120 gEggs 2Shallot (for the chả trứng) 1Fish sauce (for the chả trứng) 2 tspGround black pepper 0.4 tsp

3. Spread the mixture evenly in a lightly oiled 14 cm heatproof dish and smooth the top. Set it in a steamer over boiling water, cover and steam on medium-high heat for 25 min, until firm and a skewer pushed into the centre brings out clear juices (71 °C inside). Beat the reserved yolk, brush it over the top and steam uncovered for another 3 min, until the yolk layer is set and bright yellow. Wrap a towel around the lid so condensation doesn't drip onto the surface.

   medium-high heat

4. 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 15 min 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) 180 gWater (for the rice) 220 ml

   high heat→low heat

5. Make the đồ chua and nước chấm: cut the carrot and daikon into thin 5 cm matchsticks, toss with half the salt and leave for 10 min, then squeeze, rinse, squeeze again and mix with the vinegar and sugar. For the sauce, dissolve the sugar in the coconut water and add the fish sauce, lime juice, minced garlic and sliced chillies. Coconut water gives the softer, rounder sweetness of Saigon's stalls.

   Add in this stepCarrot 50 gDaikon radish 50 gSalt 1 pinchRice vinegar (for the pickles) 1½ tbspSugar (for the pickles) 1½ tspCoconut water (for the dipping sauce) 90 mlSugar (for the dipping sauce) 1½ tbspFish sauce (for the dipping sauce) 2 tbspFresh lime juice 2 tbspGarlic cloves (for the dipping sauce) 1Bird's eye chillies 1

6. Make the scallion oil and glaze: thinly slice the spring onions into a heatproof bowl with the rest of the salt. Heat the oil in a 14 cm pan on medium heat for about 1 min, until a slice of spring onion sizzles instantly (about 160 °C), and carefully pour it over the spring onions. Once slightly cooled, spoon about a quarter of the oil (oil only) into a small bowl and mix it with the honey: this is the glaze.

   Add in this stepSpring onions (scallions) 3Neutral oil (for the scallion oil) 3 tbspSalt 1 pinchHoney 2 tsp

   medium heat

7. Grill the chops: the coals are ready when covered with white ash and you can hold your hand 10 cm above the grate for only about 3 seconds (charcoal (medium heat)). Scrape off the marinade bits and grill the chops for 3 min per side, turning once, until charred at the edges and the juices near the bone run clear (63 °C). In the last 1 min, brush both sides with the glaze and let it bubble and caramelise. Number of rounds: 1. If flames lick the meat, move it to a cooler part of the grill. No charcoal: use a grill pan over medium heat, 4 minutes per side.

   charcoal (medium heat)

8. Cut the chả trứng into wedges. Mound rice on each plate, add a chop and a wedge of chả, spoon scallion oil over the rice and add the đồ chua and sliced cucumber. Serve with the nước chấm to pour over everything.

   Add in this stepCucumber ½