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Grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

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These grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs are succulent, tender, and rich in umami flavor.

a tray with two slabs of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

The weather finally warmed up for us to dust off our grill last weekend.  When it’s nice outside, we love to grill and enjoy a casual dinner in the garden.  Growing up in Vietnam, the closest thing I had to a grill was a small, rustic charcoal brazier.  As a child, I helped my mom keep the fire going by fanning it until my arms were about to fall off.  Fancy grills like the Weber grills did not exist. When we bought our house, we ditched our George Foreman grill for the real deal.  The sensory experience of dealing with a live fire from a charcoal grill brings back so many nostalgic moments from my childhood.

a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs and a plate of brocollini

We grill pretty much everything but hands down Vu’s favorite is Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs.  Lemongrass is a common ingredient used in Vietnamese cooking. Large pieces are smashed and added as an aromatic in soups like bun bo Hue, bo kho, and curry whereas finely chopped pieces work as a marinade to lend incredible fragrance and texture to the protein used.  It does take a bit of elbow grease to chop all those lemongrass stalks by hand but I promise the result is totally worth it. These pork ribs were marinated overnight in a bath of chopped lemongrass, shallots, scallions, fish sauce, sesame oil, and sugar to infuse those beautiful flavors.

a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs

Over the years, we have learned that the low and slow method works best.  Vu would place the coals on one side of the grill, let the temperature rise to about 375 degrees F before tossing any meat on it.  The rack of ribs is placed on the side without the coals to cook for 90 minutes. By using indirect heat, the result is a tender piece of meat without the seared black marks signaling inconsistent cooking. We let the ribs rest so the juices can redistribute before slicing them.  The amalgamation of flavors from the marinade combined with the smoky flavor make these ribs completely irresistible. Vu could devour half a rack in one sitting but I like to pair them with a simple bowl of jasmine rice and grilled vegetables. These grilled Vietnamese pork ribs are succulent, tender, and finger licking good and perfect for a casual dinner or weekend get together with family and friends.

If you want more Vietnamese recipes, check out these recipes: Vietnamese shaking beef, Asian braised short ribs, Vietnamese sticky wings.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram.  We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.

4.82 from 27 votes
a plate of grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs
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Grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Inactive time
8 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs
 

These grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork ribs are succulent, tender, and rich in umami flavor.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Grilling, Vietnamese
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds extra tender pork back ribs
  • 1/2 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 6 stalks of fresh lemongrass
  • 2 banana shallots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch of scallions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the hot water, fish sauce, sugar, and oil together.

  2. To make the marinade, trim the lemongrass stalks, leaving about 6 inches from the bottom. Peel the outer leaves and use only the tender bulb. Slice them into rings first then use a very sharp knife to finely mince.

  3. Chop the shallots and scallions coarsely.

  4. Add the lemongrass, shallots, scallion, and pepper to the liquid mixture and whisk to combine.

  5. Place the slab of ribs with the meat side facing the bottom of a baking pan and pour the marinade over it. Cover and let it marinade overnight or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

  6. When ready to grill, remove the slab from the fridge while you prepare the grill.  Set up the charcoal grill by placing coals on one side and lighting them. Rake the coals to create a flat even bed to create an even steady heat zone. 

  7. Once the coals have burned down to about 375 degrees F, place the meat over the coals to sear for a minute on each side.  

  8. Move the meat to the opposite side lined with heavy duty foil and cook for about 90-100 minutes, basting every now and then with the marinade and flipping it. 

  9. Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before slicing between each ribs. Serve immediately with jasmine rice and your favorite vegetables.

Recipe Notes

It will take a minimum of 30-45 minutes after lighting the grill for the coals to be ready.

 

Spaghetti and meatballs

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I grew up with Vietnamese food and it wasn’t until I met my husband over 15 years ago that I was introduced to Italian food. For the first year that we dated, we ate mainly Italian food because it was a novelty to me–spaghetti, lasagna, gnocchi, and all kind of pasta. I owe my love of Italian food to my husband so I make one of his favorite dishes often, spaghetti and meatballs. 

 

I like adding fresh tomatoes to the tomato passata for that extra tomato umph. I love using tomato passata because it’s made with high quality ripe tomatoes resulting in a well flavoured tomato base that is more delicious compared to the standard canned tomatoes.   Every family has their own meatball recipe but we found the combination of pork and veal make really moist meatballs.  Spaghetti and meatballs is such a tasty and classic dish that can feed the whole family and make for great leftovers.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
14 oz of dried spaghetti
½ tbsp of salt
2 tbsps of olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to serve
Finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Extra basil leaves to serve

For the sauce:
2 tbsps of olive oil
1 tbsp of garlic, chopped
1 cup of fresh San Marzanos tomatoes, chopped (can substitute with Roma tomatoes)
1 24-oz bottle of passata
½ cup of red wine
1 cup of spaghetti water
½ cup of basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsps sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the meatballs:
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground veal
½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
¾ cup panko
2 eggs
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
¼ cup white onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
2 tbsps olive oil
1. For the meatballs, in a large mixing bowl combine pork, veal, cheese, panko, eggs, garlic, white onion, salt, and pepper and mix well to combine.

2. Using wet hands, roll 2 tbsps of the mixture into balls and place them on a plate. Cover and refrigerate the meatballs for 30 minutes to allow the flavor the develop.

3. Heat 2 tbsps of olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning frequently for 5 minutes or until browned.

4.  Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.

5. In the same pan, add 2 tbsps of olive oil and the garlic and let it cook and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.

6. Add the fresh tomatoes, tomato passata, and red wine to the pan. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and the meatballs are cooked through.

7. While the meatballs are cooking, place the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain well but do not rinse. Toss the spaghetti with olive oil.

8. If the tomato sauce becomes too thick, add the spaghetti water to thin it. Add basil and season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

9.Divide the spaghetti between serving bowls, top with meatballs, extra sauce, basil leaves, and Parmesan cheese.