Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chop with Lemongrass (Sườn Nướng Sả)

Name: Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chop with Lemongrass (Sườn Nướng Sả)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 lbs bone-in pork chops (about 6 chops); 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 cup minced lemongrass; 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic; 2 green onions (thinly sliced; whites/greens separated); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)

Published:

July 25, 2022

2 comments on Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chop with Lemongrass (Sườn Nướng Sả)

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Classic Vietnamese Sweet & Savory Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop Recipe — Classic Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork chop served with steamed rice, tomatoes, cucumbers and fried egg

What is Sườn Nướng Sả

Sườn Nướng Sả is Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork chop.

Pork chops are first marinated in a blend of lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, honey, garlic, and black pepper, then grilled to perfection.

The result is a caramelized, smoky exterior with tender meat with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. For an optional beautiful and aromatic finish, the pork chops are traditionally brushed with scallion oil (Mở Hành).

The written recipe below has been updated with less sugar and a few minor changes. Please follow the written version, which I think is better.

You will often find these Vietnamese pork chops in a popular rice dish called Cơm Tấm.

If you don’t have a BBQ grill or don’t feel like cooking outside, no worries. You can also make this on the stovetop. Instructions are included below. It’s the same great flavor, minus the smokiness.

What You Will Need to Make Suong Nuong

Pork chops — I like to use bone-in pork chops for the best possible flavor. Bone-in pork chops also keep the meat moist and tender. You can also use thinly sliced pieces of pork shoulder. If using small pieces of pork shoulder, make sure to thread them on skewers to prevent them from falling through the grill grates.
Lemongrass — This is the main ingredient that gives this pork chop recipe its wonderful floral aroma and flavor. If you cannot find fresh lemongrass, you can use frozen pre-ground lemongrass. It is usually stored in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores.
Garlic — Because we love garlic.
Fish sauce — The salt of Southeast Asia that provides a salty umami flavor. I like to use Viet Huong Three Crabs brand. You can use other brands, but keep in mind that they may differ in the level of saltiness and the amount of fish sauce may need to be adjusted accordingly.
Oil — Oil works as an emulsifier in the marinade. It also prevents the pork chops from sticking and burning on the grill.
Sugar and honey — I like to use a combination of sugar and honey to sweeten the marinade. Feel free to substitute with your preferred sweetener.

Classic Vietnamese Sweet & Savory Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop Marinade — Vietnamese pork chop marinade: fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, honey, green onions, garlic ground black pepper, and oil

Pork Marinade and Grilling

Marinate for at least two hours. However, the longer you marinate the pork, the better the flavor. This is the reason I like to double or triple the recipe and let it marinate in the fridge for 1-3 days.

The marinade is not limited to pork. Use the marinade with other proteins such as chicken, tofu, and beef.

I’m using thick cuts, bone-in pork chops that I purchased from Costco. They are over 1 inch thick. These will cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes per side. Thinner cuts (less than 1 inch) will take less time, and cuts without bones will cook up even quicker.

Classic Vietnamese Sweet & Savory Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Which Part of Lemongrass to Use

If you opt to use fresh lemongrass, use only the bottom two-thirds of the stalk, where it is pale green to white.

Slice this part of the lemongrass into thin circles, then further chop it up into finer pieces.

For those who absolutely do not like to eat lemongrass because it’s too woody but still love the aroma, there is an option for you too. Keep them whole and give them a light smash. This will release its aroma and flavor. Grill the lemongrass with the pork chops then simply toss the lemongrass away afterward. This way, you can enjoy lemongrass without actually eating it.

In Vietnam, food vendors would use a basting brush that is made up of several stalks of smashed lemongrass stems for this very reason.

Don’t discard the rest of the lemongrass stalk. Save them to flavor broth such as Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup (Bún Bò Huế).

Prevent Pork Chop from Curling

Pork chops tend to curl (but not always). This can prevent even cooking and caramelization. To prevent the pork chop from curling while grilling, snip with scissors the layer of fat that runs along the outside edge of the pork chop before marinating.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Some people like to use sweetened condensed milk in place of honey and/or sugar in the recipe, which works great especially when you have leftover condensed milk from making Vietnamese coffee.

Not only does the condensed milk provides sweetness, but the milky component tenderizes the pork chop. This works very well when you marinating the pork chops overnight.

Vietnamese pork chop marinade — Bone-in pork chops works the best. Marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge for better results.

What to Serve with Vietnamese Pork Chops

Enjoy these delicious grilled pork chops with steamed rice, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and a fried egg for a complete me.

If you want a sauce to drizzle over the steamed rice, you can use soy sauce, Maggi seasoning sauce, or the iconic Vietnamese dish sauce dipping sauce (Nước Chấm).

Other Recipes to Try with Grilled Pork

If you have left over pork chops, slice up the leftover pork chops and add them to Vietnamese sandwiches (Bánh Mì) or rice noodle salad bowls (Bún Thịt Nướng).