Saigon Broken Rice with Shredded Pork Skin and Steamed Egg Pork Loaf

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A Saigon street-food classic built on nutty broken rice, delicate shredded pork skin tossed with toasted rice powder, and a slice of sweet-savory steamed pork and egg loaf. The plate is finished with crisp pickled vegetables, cucumber, scallion oil, and a bright fish-sauce dressing for a balanced, deeply savory meal.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 640 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 9 gSaturated Fat
• 62 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 11 gSugar
• 34 gProtein
• 980 mgSodium
• 720 mgPotassium
• 95 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 10 mgVitamin C
• 140 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the steamed pork and egg loaf (cha trung)

• 500 g (about 1.1 lb) ground pork, preferably 30% fat
• 2 large eggs, plus 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled
• 60 g (about 1/3 cup) dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 shallots, very finely minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder

For the shredded pork skin (bi)

• 400 g (about 14 oz) fresh pork skin, scraped of fat
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for the cooking water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 60 g (about 1/3 cup) raw jasmine rice, dry-toasted until deep gold and finely ground

For the broken rice and assembly

• 600 g (about 3 1/3 cups) Vietnamese broken rice (tấm)
• 1 small daikon radish (about 200 g), julienned
• 1 medium carrot (about 120 g), julienned
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 long English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe tomato, cut into 6 wedges
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons fried shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges, to serve

For the fish-sauce dressing (nuoc cham)

• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/3 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 small Thai chili, finely minced

Directions

1. Make the bi: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pork skin, and simmer for 45-60 minutes until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, and use a sharp knife to scrape off any remaining fat, then slice into 2-inch pieces and cut into very thin 1/16-inch shreds. Return the shreds to a clean pot with fresh salted water and simmer 20 more minutes for a soft, almost gelatinous texture; drain and cool completely. Toss the shredded pork with fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, and the toasted ground rice until every strand is coated and slightly fluffy, then chill until serving.
2. Make the cha trung: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, raw eggs, diced wood ear, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, shallots, cornstarch, and five-spice. Beat vigorously in one direction for 3 minutes until the mixture turns tacky and pulls away from the bowl. Line a 22 cm (9-inch) loaf pan with parchment and brush lightly with oil. Press half the pork mixture into the pan, lay the three hard-boiled eggs in a row down the center, and top with the remaining pork mixture, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Cover tightly with foil.
3. Steam the cha trung over rapidly simmering water for 35-40 minutes, or until the loaf feels firm and a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing so it holds a clean shape.
4. Pickle the vegetables: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the julienned daikon and carrot in a bowl, press to submerge, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
5. Cook the rice: Rinse the broken rice in 3 changes of water until the water runs nearly clear. Combine with 900 ml water in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 18-20 minutes until tender with a slight bite. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork just before plating.
6. Make the nuoc cham: Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, warm water, garlic, and chili together until the sugar fully dissolves. Taste and adjust so the balance is salty-sour-sweet with a chili hum.
7. Prepare the scallion oil: Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium until shimmering, add the scallions, and fry 45-60 seconds until crisp and fragrant; immediately pour the oil and scallions into a small bowl.
8. Assemble the plates: Mound a generous cup of broken rice on each plate, fan cucumber and tomato alongside, unmold the cha trung and slice into 8 thick rounds (2 per plate), pile a mound of bi next to the rice, and top with a spoonful each of the pickled daikon-carrot, fried shallots, and cilantro. Drizzle scallion oil over the rice and serve with the nuoc cham and lime wedges on the side.

Cook’s Notes

• For the cleanest cha trung slices, chill the loaf overnight; a cold loaf cuts without crumbling while a warm one will tear.
• Toasted ground rice (thinh) is the signature of bi and gives it a subtle popcorn-like aroma, so do not skip the dry-toasting step, and grind it just coarse, never to powder.
• Broken rice cooks softer than long-grain; if you cannot find tấm, pulse regular jasmine rice 2-3 seconds in a blender to break some grains without turning it to dust.
• A second simmer of the pork skin is what gives Sai Gon-style bi its famously soft, almost gummy texture rather than the rubbery chew found elsewhere, so do not shorten it.
• Always taste the nuoc cham before serving; lime juiciness varies and you may need an extra spoon of sugar to round it out.

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