Vietnamese Pork in Tomato Sauce with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce is a gift to the gluten free community. Like so many Vietnamese and Thai dishes, it is naturally gluten free, healthy and delicious. It's like a salad with meat sauce. If you've never bought fish sauce, it's time.
The nuoc cham dipping sauce, sprinkled on at the table, is recognizable by taste. It's the dipping sauce commonly served with Vietnamese Salad Rolls. It contains fish sauce but it is not just fish sauce.
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Ingredients
The ubiquitous ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine is fish sauce. If you're not familiar with it checkout this post, Gluten Free Fish Sauce.
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
- garlic
- red pepper flakes
- sugar
- lime juice
- rice vinegar
- Asian fish sauce
Salad and Pork-Tomato Sauce
- iceberg lettuce & green onions - For the salad base
- fresh cilantro and mint - essential for the taste of this dish
- cooking oil
- ground pork
- onion
- canned tomatoes
- gluten free chicken stock or water
- tomato paste
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Substitutions for Fish Sauce
You would think there is no substitute for fish sauce, but there is. This vegan fish sauce substitute makes Vietnamese and Thai cuisine available for vegetarians, vegans or anyone with a fish allergy. (It's a bit of effort so I might ask the person who needs it to make it.) Use it in all recipes and I guarantee no one will know the difference and everyone will be happy.
Variations
Vegetarian version - The pork-tomato sauce can be made with crumbled tofu for that same vegetarian friend who's going to make the fish sauce substitute above. Cook the sauce according to the recipe and freeze it like you would any recipe for meat sauce.
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce - I almost always have a jar of nuoc cham in my fridge because there is no recipe that uses it all.
As I added recipes to my blog I learned that I make a few versions of nuoc cham. They are all similar and interchangeable in any recipe calling for it. See my list at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
Buy a wok. I can't say enough about the benefits of wok cooking. A standard flat bottom wok isn't expensive, will last for years and is ideal for more than Asian dishes. The large surface area of a wok is the key to stir-frying and it's shape, a small base with a large top, makes it perfect for deep-frying with oil. Once you have a wok you'll find all sorts of ways to use it.
Storage
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce - It takes only five minutes to make this sauce and it will keep your fridge for months. I use Mason jars with air-tight plastic lids. Try the recipes I mentioned above and you'll be in love with Vietnamese food!
Meat Sauce - The pork-tomato sauce is just like any meat sauce so can be portioned into the sizes you need, frozen and thawed when you want to make this recipe.
Top Tip
Make the Nuoc Cham dipping sauce a day or a week in advance. That takes the pressure off at meal time. When you're thinking ahead make enough of the pork-tomato sauce for two meals. Freeze and label it and for an amazing, healthy and simple dinner some night in the weeks ahead.
Vietnamese Pork in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
NUOC CHAM
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup warm water
SALAD
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
FIRST STEP FOR PORK SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
FINISHING PORK-TOMATO SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 large onion, slivered
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juice (28oz/796ml)
- ½ cup gluten free chicken stock or water
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
SERVING
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
NUOC CHAM
- Combine all ingredients in a jar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
SALAD
- Combine lettuce, green onions, mint and cilantro in a salad bowl and toss. Divide between 4 plates.
PORK-TOMATO SAUCE
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground pork and brown, stirring to break up the lumps. Cook 8-10 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the sugar and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Add the garlic and onion and fry until softened, 8-10 minutes.
- To the wok add the tomatoes, chicken stock (or water), tomato paste, remaining 2 tablespoon fish sauce and cooked pork. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
SERVING
- Top lettuce with warm rice then pork-tomato sauce.
- Sprinkle generously with black pepper, drizzle with Nuoc Cham and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
No, nuoc cham is not the same as fish sauce. Nuoc cham is a common dipping sauce in Vietnamese cuisine and fish sauce is one of the ingredients. Nuoc cham includes garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, vinegar and red pepper flakes.
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More Ways To Use Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
Nuoc cham is an essential sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. When I have some in the fridge I'll use it in recipes like these.
- Pour it over any version of this Rice Noodle Bowl, just like you do when you order it.
- Nuoc cham is used like a salad dressing in this Vietnamese summer Cabbage Chicken Salad.
- Some people dip their salad rolls in peanut sauce or hoisin sauce, but nuoc cham is the best and most authentic dipping sauce in my mind.
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