Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers

Marinate these Vietnamese pork skewers ahead of time before grilling, then dip in a tangy sauce of garlic, red chiles, lime, and fish sauce.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 mins
• Total Time: 38 mins
• Calories: 201 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 fresh red chile pepper, minced
• bamboo skewers
• 1 fresh red chile pepper, minced, or more to taste
• 1 pound pork belly, cubed
• 3 stalks lemongrass, minced
• 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG), or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine pork belly, 1 red chile pepper, lemongrass, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon white sugar, and five-spice powder in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until marinated, 1 to 3 hours.

Step 2

Mix 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 red chile pepper, lime juice, 5 cloves garlic, and 1 teaspoon MSG together in a bowl. Let sit until dipping sauce flavors meld, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour in water.

Step 3

Thread the marinated pork belly onto bamboo skewers.

Step 4

Preheat grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook pork skewers, turning occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce.