If there's one plate that captures Saigon street food in a single glance, it's com tam. Broken rice anchors one side of the plate, next to a glistening grilled pork chop caramelized at the edges from a sweet-savory marinade. Around it: shredded pork skin tossed with toasted rice powder, a slice of golden steamed egg meatloaf, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, tomato, and bright green scallion oil — all meant to be drizzled with nuoc cham, the sweet-tangy dipping sauce that ties every bite together.
"Com tam" literally means broken rice: fractured rice kernels that Vietnamese cooks turned into something beloved in its own right. The shorter grains cook up tender with a slightly sticky, nubby texture that soaks up sauces beautifully. It's eaten any time of day, but it's most famous as "com tam suon" — broken rice with grilled pork chop — the plate this recipe builds.
What Is Com Tam Made Of?
A full com tam plate has several components, none complicated on its own. Together they create the sweet-salty-tangy-crunchy balance that makes the dish so satisfying:
- Broken rice (gao tam): shorter grains with a tender, slightly sticky texture that soaks up sauces beautifully.
- Suon nuong: grilled pork chop marinated in fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, and garlic, charred at the edges.
- Bi: shredded pork tossed with toasted rice powder (thinh) for a nutty chew.
- Cha trung: savory steamed egg meatloaf with a golden yolk top.
- Do chua: quick-pickled carrots and daikon for crunch and brightness.
- Nuoc cham and mo hanh: the dipping sauce and scallion oil that tie everything together.
Pickles, sauce, and rice powder can all be made ahead — on the day, you're mostly grilling and assembling.
Ingredients
For the grilled pork chop (suon nuong):
- 4 bone-in or boneless pork shoulder chops, about 3/4-inch thick (roughly 1 3/4 lbs total)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, or grapeseed), plus more for the grill
- 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (tender inner stalks only)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the broken rice:
- 1 1/2 cups broken rice
- 1 3/4 cups water
- Pinch of salt
For the shredded pork with toasted rice powder (bi):
- 1/2 lb pork loin, cut into thick strips
- 1/4 cup uncooked sticky (sweet) rice, for toasting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the steamed egg meatloaf (cha trung):
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 4 large eggs, divided (2 whole eggs + 2 whites for the mixture; 2 yolks reserved for the top)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup soaked and finely chopped wood ear mushrooms (optional)
- 2 tablespoons soaked, chopped mung bean noodles (optional)
For the quick pickles (do chua):
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1 cup julienned daikon radish
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the nuoc cham (dipping sauce):
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced (optional)
For scallion oil (mo hanh) and serving:
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, heated until shimmering
- Cucumber slices, tomato wedges, and lettuce leaves, for the plate
Instructions
1. Quick-pickle the vegetables. Whisk the sugar, vinegar, water, and salt until dissolved. Add the julienned carrots and daikon, press into the liquid, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or overnight). These keep two weeks and are worth making in a bigger batch.
2. Marinate the pork chops. Stir together the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oil, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and black pepper. Add the chops and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor. Pull out 20–30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off.
3. Cook the broken rice. Rinse the broken rice in several changes of water until the water runs mostly clear. Combine with 1 3/4 cups water and the salt in a rice cooker or a pot with a tight lid. Cook as you would jasmine rice — about 15 minutes in the rice cooker, or 12 minutes at a gentle simmer — then rest, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing. Broken rice likes slightly less water than whole-grain jasmine, so resist the urge to add extra.
4. Stir together the nuoc cham. Combine the warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Taste and adjust — sweet first, then tangy, then savory, with warmth from the chili in the background.
5. Steam the egg meatloaf. Combine the ground pork, 2 whole eggs plus 2 whites, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper, and the soaked mushrooms and mung bean noodles if using. Mix until uniform, then press into a lightly oiled heatproof dish about 7–8 inches across. Cover loosely and steam 20 minutes. Whisk the 2 reserved yolks, brush over the surface, and steam 5 minutes more until the top is set and golden. Cool slightly, then slice into wedges.
6. Toast the rice powder for the bi. Add the 1/4 cup sticky rice to a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan, until golden and nutty-smelling — about 5–7 minutes. Cool, then grind coarse in a spice grinder or mortar. Meanwhile, simmer the pork strips in salted water 12–15 minutes until cooked through. Cool, shred thin, and toss with the rice powder, salt, and pepper — the powder should coat the pork in a light, nutty dusting.
7. Grill the pork chops. Heat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high and oil the grates. Grill the chops 4–5 minutes per side until cooked through with nicely charred, caramelized edges — the sugar in the marinade chars quickly, so watch the last minute closely. Rest 5 minutes, then slice into strips for easy eating.
8. Make the scallion oil. Pour the hot oil over the sliced scallions in a heatproof bowl — it should sizzle immediately. Stir once and set aside.
9. Assemble the plates. Scoop a generous mound of broken rice onto each plate. Fan out the sliced pork chop alongside it, add a wedge of cha trung, a tangle of bi, a spoonful of pickles, cucumber, tomato, and lettuce. Spoon scallion oil over the rice and serve nuoc cham on the side, so everyone controls their own drizzle.
Tips for the Best Com Tam
Marinate the pork overnight if you can. Two hours gives good flavor; overnight lets the lemongrass and garlic really sink in. The chops are thin, so the marinade penetrates fast either way.
Watch the sugar on the grill. The marinade's sugar creates those crave-worthy charred edges, but it burns if you look away. Sear over high heat, then move the chops to a cooler spot to finish if the edges darken too fast.
Don't skip resting the rice. Broken rice needs its covered rest — the steam redistributes and the grains firm up to that perfect tender-nubby texture.
Balance the nuoc cham to your taste. Every family's version differs. Too sharp? Add a pinch of sugar. Too sweet? Another squeeze of lime. The right ratio is the one you keep spooning over the rice.
Variations
- Grilled chicken or shrimp: the same marinade works beautifully on chicken thighs or large shrimp.
- Com tam bi cha: skip the chop and lean on the bi, cha trung, and a fried egg — a classic "no chop" plate in its own right.
- Vegetarian-leaning version: grilled lemongrass tofu, a soft tofu-and-egg steam instead of cha trung, and a soy-lime dipping sauce.
- Spicier: a second Thai chili in the nuoc cham, plus sliced chilies on the side.
What to Serve With Com Tam
A simple soup rounds out the meal the way Vietnamese families eat — a light bowl of pho ga keeps the table balanced. For a fuller spread, start with a crisp green papaya salad. And if you love the high-heat technique behind the charred pork edges, our guide on wok hei explains the smoky magic behind that sear — the same principles apply on the grill.
Storing and Reheating
Store each component separately in airtight containers in the fridge: rice and pork keep 3–4 days, cha trung and bi up to 3 days, pickles up to 2 weeks. Reheat the pork in a hot skillet or under the broiler for a couple of minutes to bring back some caramelized edges — the microwave softens the char. Reheat rice with a sprinkle of water, covered, so it steams instead of drying out.
Prep time: 30 min (+ 2 hours marinating) · Cook time: 35 min · Total: 1 hr 5 min · Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
- Quick-pickle: whisk sugar, vinegar, water, and salt until dissolved. Add julienned carrots and daikon, press into the liquid, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Marinate the pork: stir together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oil, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and black pepper. Coat the chops, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature 20-30 minutes before grilling.
- Cook the broken rice: rinse in several changes of water, combine with 1 3/4 cups water and salt, and cook like jasmine rice. Rest covered 10 minutes, then fluff.
- Make the nuoc cham: dissolve sugar in warm water, then add fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Adjust to taste.
- Steam the egg meatloaf: mix ground pork, 2 whole eggs plus 2 whites, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and soaked mushrooms/noodles if using. Press into an oiled heatproof dish and steam 20 minutes. Brush the 2 reserved yolks over the top and steam 5 minutes more until set and golden. Cool slightly, then slice.
- Make the bi: toast the sticky rice in a dry skillet until golden and nutty (5-7 minutes), cool, and grind coarse. Simmer the pork strips in salted water 12-15 minutes until cooked through, cool, shred thin, and toss with the rice powder, salt, and pepper.
- Grill the pork: heat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high and oil the grates. Grill chops 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through with charred, caramelized edges. Rest 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
- Make the scallion oil: pour the hot shimmering oil over the sliced scallions in a heatproof bowl and stir once.
- Assemble: mound broken rice on each plate, fan out sliced pork, and add cha trung, bi, pickles, cucumber, tomato, and lettuce. Spoon scallion oil over the rice and serve nuoc cham on the side.