Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

This is a fast way to transform humble ground pork (mince) into something super tasty that will please the kids AND the grown ups! With just a handful of ingredients you probably already have, this pork is sweet, salty, beautifully caramelised and absolutely irresistible.

Ground meat – which we call “mince” here in Australia – is extremely good value. It’s also just about the least sexy protein I know. Don’t you think? A dry aged piece of New York strip is sexy. Quail is gourmet. Oysters are….well, we’ve all heard that oysters are an aphrodisiac, right? 😉

Mince is…well, it just isn’t fancy. And yet, it makes it into my shopping trolley every single week because it’s such good value and so versatile. Sure, there are the usual suspects you can make with mince. Bolognese, meatballs, burgers, meatloaf, shepherds pie – to name a few of the more common ones.

But sometimes, it’s nice to do something a little different. Like this Vietnamese pork stir fry. The crazy thing about this is that the ingredients list is so short. Chili, garlic, ginger, sugar and fish sauce. That’s it. Seriously!

The secret to this recipe is the caramelisation. It is rare to see recipes made with ground meat that are cooked this way so the meat is caramelised. But those golden brown bits you see – they are the crowning glory in this recipe that takes it from a rather unappetising pale brown-grey colour to a golden brown pile of deliciousness that you will want to eat with a spoon straight out of the skillet. (Go on – you deserve it – cook’s privileges!)

This pork stir fry recipe is an adaptation of the marinade I use for this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowl (seriously delicious!).

I am not 1000% sure that this is strictly authentic Vietnamese but the combination of ingredients I use most certainly are and it is my replica of dishes I have tried at Vietnamese restaurants here in Australia. It is an adaptation of the marinade I use in my Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowl.

I have seen similar recipes made with pieces of pork (especially pork belly), usually with lemongrass in it. Lemongrass is a herb that is commonly used in Vietnamese cooking and if you have some, it will make this even more delicious so I’ve included it as an optional extra in the recipe.

But this version without lemongrass is the way that I usually make this because I don’t usually have lemongrass on hand. However, I always have all the other ingredients. Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x

PS This is fabulous made with chicken, turkey and pork mince (ground meat). I like to serve it over rice and I eat it with a spoon. Sometimes I mix through shredded lettuce, cucumber and carrots which makes it more like the classic Vietnamese Noodle Bowls.

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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Prep

10 mins

Cook

10 mins

Total

20 mins

 

An exciting way to use ground meat (mince) to make a quick stir fry that taste unbelievable! This is great made with chicken, turkey or pork. It also works with beef though it is better made with "white meats". Serve it over rice or vermicelli noodles to make rice bowls with shredded lettuce, carrots and cucumbers on the side (very classic Vietnamese meal!). | 262 calories per serving

Course: Stir Fry

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings: 4

Calories: 262 kcal

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil (I use peanut oil)
• 1/2 onion , finely diced (brown, white or yellow) (~1/2 cup)
• 2 tsp grated ginger (preferably fresh)
• 2 large garlic cloves , crushed (~2 tsp)
• 1 birds eye or Thai chili , deseeded and finely chopped (Note 1)
• 1 lb / 500g ground pork (mince) (or chicken or turkey)
• 5 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 shallot/scallion stem , finely sliced (Note 2)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the pork mince and cook for 3 minutes or so until white all over, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon (Note 3).
4. Add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then leave it to cook without touching until all the juices cook out and the pork starts caramelised - about 2 minutes. Then stir it and leave it again, without stirring, for around 30 seconds to get more caramelisation. Repeat twice more until caramelised to your taste.
5. Serve over rice or vermicelli noodles, garnished with sliced scallions/shallots. I like to have shredded iceberg lettuce, cucumber and carrots on the side which is a classic way of making Vietnamese bowls.

Notes

1. Birds eye chilis are small red chilis that are usually around 3 to 4cm (1.5 - 2") long. They are very spicy! You can substitute with any chili you want, or even exclude it if you are making this for kids. Just adjust to your taste.

This dish is great to serve with sriracha on the side so people can add the amount of heat they want.

2. To make the shallots/scallions curl like you see in the photos, slice the green part very finely on the diagonal then place in a bowl of cold water in the fridge. Leave for 20 minutes or so, then they will curl. This is optional - you could just slice them!

3. I don't break up the meat too finely like I do when making bolognaise or similar. That's just a personal preference for this particular dish because I like having larger chunks of meat.

4. Lemongrass is a lovely and very traditional Vietnamese herb used in dishes like this. 1 stalk, white part only, very VERY finely chopped. Add it into the skillet with the garlic.

5. Nutrition is for the pork stir fry only, excludes the rice and assumes you use a lean pork.

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