Vietnamese Com Tam is a broken rice bowl topped with charred, caramelized pork chops marinated in fish sauce, brown sugar, and lemongrass. The marinade creates a savory-sweet glaze that crisps beautifully on an electric grill or air fryer.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, cooking oil, brown sugar, honey, and minced garlic to create the marinade.
Add the optional dark soy sauce, chopped shallots, and chopped lemongrass to the marinade and mix.
Add the pork chops to the bowl, ensuring they are fully coated in the marinade. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Before cooking, make small slits about 1 inch apart along the fatty edge of each pork chop. This will prevent them from curling up while cooking.
To cook in an air fryer: Place the pork chops in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For extra char, you can broil the air-fried pork chops on high for a few minutes until desired color is reached.
To cook on a grill: Preheat an electric grill to high heat. Grill the pork chops for about 8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until cooked through and charred.
Serve the grilled pork chops hot, garnished with chopped green onions, alongside broken rice (Com Tam), pickled vegetables, and dipping sauce.
Store cooked pork in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on a skillet or air fryer at 325°F to avoid drying.
electric grill or air fryer · instant-read thermometer
Fish sauce is essential to the flavor profile, but if unavailable, use soy sauce as a substitute, though the depth will differ.
Marinate for at least 2 hours, but overnight (8–12 hours) develops fuller flavor from the lemongrass and garlic.
Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for medium doneness; bone-in chops will cook slightly slower than boneless cuts.
Yes, reduce cooking time by 2–3 minutes per side; boneless cuts cook faster and may dry out if overcooked.
Broken rice is traditional and has a softer texture, but jasmine rice or white rice work as substitutes.
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