Grilled Lemongrass Pork Tenderloin Skewers - (Suon Nuong Xa)

1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lemongrass stalks outer leaves and tops removed, root ends trimmed, stalks finely grated
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
16 bamboo skewers soaked 20 minutes, and drained
Rice Vermicelli
1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
Fish Dipping Sauce - (Nuoc Cham)

Stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and oil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lemongrass, shallot, garlic and pork and mix to coat the meat evenly. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Slide 2 to 4 slices of pork onto each skewer so the meat is flat with the skewer going through the slices several times.

Grill over a barbecue (make sure that the flames have subsided and the coals are red with white ashes). Alternatively, heat a well-oiled grill pan or non-stick skillet over high heat and, working in batches, cook the skewers until the edges crisp, about 1 minute per side.

Remove the skewers from the grilled pork. Divide the grilled pork among the bowls of rice vermicelli. Sprinkle peanuts and drizzle nuoc cham over each serving. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Chili, Garlic, and Fish Sauce - (Nuoc Cham)
4 red chilies
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp sugar
2 limes peeled and chopped
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp vinegar
5 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)

Remove stalks from chilies and de-seed if you want a milder dip, though this defeats the purpose of nuoc cham. Pound garlic in a pestle and add chilies one by one, processing until you get a fine paste. Add sugar and lime pieces and pound to a pulp.

Remove to a small sauce bowl and add water, vinegar, and fish sauce. Mix well and serve.
Variations on the sauce can include chopped coriander, chopped ginger, pineapple, and any fresh herbs.

Comments: Piquant dips do double duty as condiments and seasonings in Vietnamese cooking. The base for these is always nuoc mam and you can add ingredients such as lime juice, chopped chilies, chopped nuts, spring onions, fried garlic, ginger and fresh herbs such as coriander, sweet basil, and mint.