Cơm tấm in Vietnamese is broken rice or fractured rice grains.  It is usually served with pork meat – caramelized grilled pork chops and bì (which is thinly shredded pork mixed with thinly shredded pork skin).  On the side it is served with sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, pickled carrots, fried egg, steamed meat loaf with egg custard on top/ fish cake and Vietnamese dipping sauce.  When you go to restaurants the rice plate is also usually served with a bowl of hot flavorsome broth.   I like ending this meal with a nice avocado milk shake!  

To make this delicious combination rice plate you will need the following (to serve 4):

- broken rice (I just used 1 cup – 2 cups jasmine rice ……since I could not access this.  You can use whatever rice is on hand)
- caramelised pork chops
- bì :  shredded pork and shredded pork skin.  I purchased this at one of the Inala butchers for about $5 for a takeaway container .  It is already cooked and all you have to do is microwave until slightly warm (not hot otherwise the fat will shrink).
- steamed meat loaf
- sliced cucumber, tomatoes and pickles
- you can also fry an egg to finish off your plate

The following are recipes of:

• Grilled Pork Chops
• Steamed Meat Loaf

To make these delicious grilled pork chops you will need:

- 4 pork chops
- 2 TBS of olive oil or just any oil
- 2 TBS of brown suger
- 2 TBS of fish sauce
- 2 TBS of soy sauce
- 3 TBS of lemon grass smashed / mortar and pestled or chopped up very finely.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and then cover the pork chops with the marinade.  Cover and marinade in the fridge for 2 hours.  More hours will deepen the flavour.

When it is ready, fry on a large non stick pan and cook until you see the pork caramelizing.  Don’t over cook otherwise the meat will become hard.  I like it tender and a tinge of pink.

These ingredients are much the same as making filling for spring rolls!  If you have left overs of the mix….wrap it in spring roll pastry and freeze for another occasion.

For the steamed meat loaf you will need:

- 150 grams of pork mince
- bit of dried mushroom soaked, drained and chopped
- a cup of bean thread vermicelli noodles soaked, drained and chopped
- 1 small onion minced
- dash of pepper
- pinch of salt
- i added in other vegetables (i added chopped water chest nuts, chives and this other vegetable I don’t know the term in English lol).
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
 

To make the Cơm tấm Platter – place rice, grilled pork, warm bi, steamed meat loaf, cucumber, tomatoes and pickles on the plate with a fried egg on top and serve with nuoc cham

This plate is huge so maybe you can share with a friend?

Others that have made this:

• Ravenous Couple http://ravenouscouple.blogspot.com/2009/05/com-tam-suon-bi-cha.html