This fragrant, savory pork recipe is so easy to make and absolutely bursting with delicious Vietnamese flavors! The secret is in the homemade shallot oil added to the pork marinade. This recipe is also baked in the oven instead of grilled – making it a fantastic weeknight dinner you can have any time of the year.
How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork in the Oven
A lot of recipes call for cooking your Vietnamese lemongrass pork on the grill. This can yield really delicious results but it’s also not very practical. Grilling is a little harder to do in the colder seasons and practically impossible in apartments because of the smoke. It also requires you to attend to the meat on the grill for long periods of time, which isn’t feasible if you have a busy lifestyle. So today, I’ll be teaching you how to make lemongrass pork – or Thịt Heo Nướng Sả in Vietnamese – in the oven!
This roasted lemongrass pork recipe gives you the same deep flavors and juiciness as cooking on the grill but without the difficult cooking process and clean-up. It’s fragrant, flavorful, and doesn’t even require much active cooking time so you can leave it to finish in the oven while you set up the table, help your young ones, or even socialize with family and friends – as long as you remember to flip the meat halfway through!
How to Make Homemade Shallot Oil
The secret to making the lemongrass pork marinade is the homemade shallot oil! It imparts the flavor of shallots into the meat itself so every bite of the juicy roasted pork is flavorful all the way through instead of just on the surface. Plus, the fried shallots make an amazing crispy topping that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
In this recipe, I’ll be teaching you how to make a big batch of shallot oil so you can always have some on hand – try using it in other marinades or as a finishing oil to drizzle over noodles, soup, or salad. Simply wonderful!
Keep the oil in an airtight container stored in a cool, dark, and dry place – it should last you a few months. For the excess crispy shallots, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge to maintain their delightful texture.
What to Serve with Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork
My favorite way to have this roasted lemongrass pork is with steamed rice or on a noodle bowl. Simple and fresh accompaniments will really let the flavors of the juicy and tender pork shine. If you’ll be eating it this way, don’t forget to make some tangy Nước Chấm for dipping or pouring!
Some people also like using lemongrass pork as the protein for their Bánh Mì, a popular Vietnamese sandwich. It goes perfectly with the crisp vegetables, crusty bread, and refreshing herbs! If you’d like to try it that way, I highly recommend making my Vietnamese baguette recipe and pickle vegetables recipe for the best experience.
Roasted Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork | Thịt Heo Nướng Sả Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt / Pork Belly
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp Sugar
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Five Spice Powder
- 2 tsp Mushroom Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Minced Lemongrass
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 4 tbsp Shallot Oil
- 1 lbs. Shallots
- 3 cups Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Before marinating the meat, we need to make the shallot oil. You can use regular oil but the shallot oil will take the flavor and fragrancy of your meat to the next level. Make a big batch so you have it on hand for a few months.
- Slice the shallots – about 1/8 of an inch – not too thin
- Add 3 cups of Oil (I am using Avocado Oil) to your pot and set to medium heat.
- Once oil is nice and hot, add your shallots. Your oil should be sizzling as you add the shallots.
- Keep stirring the shallots so I can cook evenly.
- Turn off the heat once your shallots is a pale yellow. Keep stirring until shallots are nicely browned and crispy.
- Removed shallots and strain oil.
- Add all marinating ingredients to your meat and mix thoroughly.
- Marinate meat for 1-2 hours. Overnight is best.
- Take meat out of refrigerator. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Turn meat over. Bake other side for another 20 minutes. Then broil for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it so the meat is super juicy.
- Serve with steamed rice or as a noodle bowl. Sprinkle fried shallots over the top before serving.