Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Ground Pork (Chao Suon Thit Bam)

Ingredients

• 150 grams white rice grains (gao)
• 50 grams sweet rice grains (nep)
• 100 grams rice powder (bot gao)
• 2 white/yellow onions
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger
• 2 lbs pork neck bones
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 liters water
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 3 teaspoons pork stock powder
• 2 teaspoons MSG
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pork stock powder
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 shallot (minced finely)
• 3 green onions (slice thin and separate whites and greens)
• Fried shallots

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the Rice:: Wash white rice and sweet rice grains with water until water runs clear. Then soak grains in water for 1 hour to soften.

2. 2

   Roast Aromatics:: Roast ginger and white/yellow onions whole in the oven at 400°F for 45 minutes or until soft and oozing. Allow them to cool then peel, making sure to remove any charred areas. Halve the onion. Slice half of the ginger into strips. The other half into coins)

3. 3

   Clean the Pork Bones: In a pot, add pork bones and fill with water to cover. Add salt (1 teaspoon). Bring the pot to a rolling boil and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove bones, rinse under cold water and drain dry. Using a sharp knife, remove all the meat around the neckbones and set aside to cook later.

4. 4

   Make the Pork Stock:: In a large clean stock pot, bring water (3 liters) to a boil. Add cleaned pork bones, roasted white/yellow onions and ginger coins (reserve the strips for garnish and ground pork marinade). Simmer on low for 2 hours. Occasionally, skim( the impurities/foam off the top.

5. 5

   Prepare Ground Pork:: Take the meat from the neck bones and mince into ground pork. In a small bowl, combine chopped pork, whites of green onions, 1/4 teaspoon minced ginger (minced up the reserved ginger strips), pork stock powder, MSG, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper and sesame oil. Mix well together. In a small frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat on medium-high. Add shallots and fry until light brown. Add ground pork mixture and fry until evenly cooked (5-7 minutes). Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.

6. 6

   Blend the Rice:: Drain the soaked rice grains and add to a blender or food processor. Chop until mostly smooth. No need to be completely smooth. Small bits of grains are okay.

7. 7

   Cook the Porridge:: Add blended rice and 3 cups cold water to a new stock pot. Mix until rice is evenly dissolved. Heat on medium-low heat for 15 minutes and frequently stir the rice to prevent the bottom from burning. Pour the liquid of the pork stock into the rice pot and continue to cook on medium-low for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Add Rice Powder: In a small bowl, mix together rice powder and 1/2 cup cold water until completely dissolved. Add dissolved rice powder slowly to the rice pot and mix until evenly incorporated. Cook the porridge on low and frequently stir from the bottom frequently to prevent burning. Turn off heat when the porridge is to the desired consistency (about 30 minutes).

9. 9

   Assemble and Serve:: When ready to serve, ladle pot porridge into individual serving bowls. Top with ground/chopped pork, green onions, fried shallots, ginger strips and a sprinkle of black pepper.