Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass & Five-Spice Pork Chop Recipe (Sườn Nướng)

Sườn Nướng is Vietnamese sweet and savory grilled pork chops that have been infused with the amazing aroma of lemongrass and five-spice powder. You can find these pork chops as the highlight of Cơm Tấm (broken rice), a classic Vietnamese rice dish that typically includes pork chops, pork/egg meatloaf (chả trứng thịt), shredded pork skin (bì) and a fried egg.

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass & Five-Spice Pork Chop Recipe (Sườn Nướng)

What is Five Spice Powder?

Five Spice Powder is a finely ground mixture of five spices: star anise, cloves, fennel, peppercorn, and cinnamon. It's a very common ingredient in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a flavor that you can’t really pinpoint but you definitely know when it’s missing.

Lemongrass

Don’t go skipping the lemongrass in this recipe. Charred lemongrass aroma is the bombdiggity.

You can use fresh lemongrass, which is readily available in the produce section of many Asian grocery stores. They look like tall dried wheatgrass. For the marinade, use the tender bottom stalks. Make sure to slice them across the grain first then mince finely.

You can also get frozen lemongrass, which usually comes minced and ready-to-use. There’s also dry lemongrass that you can keep in the pantry as an additional option.

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass & Five-Spice Pork Chop Recipe (Sườn Nướng)

Tips for Tender and Juicy Pork Chop

If you want tender and juicy pork chops, use thin cuts no more than 1/4” thick. If you can’t find thin cuts, use a meat pounder or any heavy object to flatten the pork chop. Flattened or thin cuts cook thoroughly and quickly so they are less prone to drying out. Flattened and thin cuts also prevent curling when pork chop is cooking.

I also like to use bone-in pork chops. Bone adds moisture and more importantly, a ton of flavor.

Final Touches

Brush scallion oil on the cooked pork chops for a beautiful finish and final basting of amazing flavor.

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass & Five-Spice Pork Chop Recipe (Sườn Nướng)

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass & Five-Spice Pork Chop Recipe (Suong Nuong)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone-in pork chops (flatten thin)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
• 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots

Scallion Oil (optional)

• 3-4 stalks scallion / green onions (slice thin)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, bouillon powder, five-spice powder, sesame oil, lemongrass, garlic and shallots.
2. Add pork chops and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge for best results.
3. Grill on high heat for 3-5 minutes per side.
4. Optional: In a small saucepan, heat up scallions and oil on medium high for 1 minutes. You can also heat this mixture in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Brush scallion oil on cooked pork chops for a beautiful finish.