Deutsch Ba Chỉ Nướng Sả is pork belly marinated in a lemongrass blend and grilled to juicy perfection. This flavorful pork can be served with rice, rice noodles, or in a Vietnamese Bánh Mì. It’s super easy and incredibly versatile!
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Your Easiest Vietnamese Pork Belly Recipe
Pork is a staple ingredient in Vietnam, even more popular than fish sauce.
Vietnamese use ground pork in egg omelette, pork belly in Thịt Kho Tàu, pork hock in Bún Bò Huế, pork bones in Hủ Tiếu soup, and even in the broth for Phở.
Many people are fans of both Bún Chả Hà Nội (Northern rice noodles with grilled pork) and Bún Thịt Nướng (Southern rice noodles with grilled pork) – two similar dishes but not the same. My lemongrass pork belly falls somewhere between these two beloved.
Just dump all the marinade ingredients onto the pork, let it marinate for at least 1 hour, and then you can start cooking. This lemongrass marinade also goes great with Chicken or Pork Chops.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Vietnamese Grilled Pork Belly are quite simple.
- Pork Belly: I prefer removing the pork rind (just forgot to do it this time). Then, I cut the pork belly into strips about 0.4 inches (1cm) thick.
- Seasoning: Fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Aromatic ingredients: Lemongrass, scallions, and garlic. Scallions are a popular herb in Vietnamese marinades. They create a distinct “Vietnamese flavor” that onions or shallots simply cannot replicate.
Related Recipes | What to do with leftover sweetened condensed milk:
Instructions
Marinating
- In a blender, combine lemongrass, scallions, garlic, and a few tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth. You could mince the ingredients with a knife but using a blender saves me time, and I don’t like the uncomfortable lumps in the marinade.
- Marinate the pork belly with this mixture along with fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. You could marinate the pork belly for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight. Before cooking, take it out of the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cooking
I live in a small apartment, so I usually cook meat with a skillet or an air fryer. Baking in an oven works too, but grilling over an open flame always gives the best flavor.
With skillet:
- Heat your grill pan over medium-low heat.
- Pan-fry each side of the pork belly for about 7-9 minutes.
With air-fryer:
- Place the marinated pork belly in the air fryer basket and air fry each side for 10 minutes at 390°F (200°C).
Serve
There are several delicious ways to enjoy this Vietnamese lemongrass pork belly:
- Jasmine Rice: Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a quick and satisfying daily meal.
- Microwave Jasmine Rice: Ready in just minutes.
- Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng: Use as a filling for Vietnamese Bánh Mì or as part of a Banh Mi board. Don’t forget the Vietnamese mayo, liver pâté, and carrot & daikon pickles!
- Bun Bowl: Enjoy as a topping for your rice noodle bowl. Drizzle with scallion oil and Nước Chấm for extra flavor.
- Gatherings: Perfect for any Vietnamese or Asian gathering such as Tết (Lunar New Year), Easter, or Thanksgiving.
Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Belly (Ba Chỉ Nướng Sả)
Ingredients
- 1.1 pound pork belly (500g) (cut into 0.4 inch (1cm) thick slices, rind removed)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig scallion
- 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (or honey)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Instructions
Marinating:
- In a blender, blend together lemongrass, scallions, garlic, and a few tablespoons of water until smooth. While you could mince the ingredients with a knife, using a blender saves time and avoids any uncomfortable lumps in the marinade.
- Marinate the pork belly with this mixture, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Let the meat rest for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight. Before cooking, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Pan-grilling:
- Preheat your grill pan over medium-low heat.
- Pan-fry each side of the pork belly for 7-9 minutes.
Air-frying:
- Cook the pork belly in the air fryer for 10 minutes on each side at 390°F (200°C).
How to serve:
- You could enjoy the lemongrass pork belly with steamed rice, as a filling for Vietnamese Bánh Mì, or alongside rice noodles with a drizzle of Nước Chấm.
