Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

Step 1

Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. Spray the foil with cooking spray or drizzle with a bit of oil. Set aside.

Step 2

Combine the olive oil, brown sugar, garlic salt, onion powder and paprika in a small bowl and stir till well combined.

Step 3

Place the pork on the prepared pan and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the pork all over with the brown sugar mixture. Use your hand to thoroughly coat with the rub. Allow to sit with rub while the oven preheats.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Roast pork for 8 minutes then remove from oven and flip tenderloin(s) to opposite side with tongs. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil then return to oven and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until temperature reads 145˚F in the thickest portion. Check temp after 10 minutes and every couple of minutes after.

Step 5

Tent pork loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice meat thinly, about 1/4 inch thick. Combine sliced pork and sauce and serve.

Step 6

Serve with rice and lots of fresh veggies. We like to drizzle the veggies with nuoc cham, which is a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce. I've included a recipe below under the recipe "Notes".

Step 7

If making ahead, cool then wrap meat tightly in foil and refrigerate till ready to use.

Step 8

While the meat is roasting, combine sugar, ¼ cup water and corn syrup in a medium size pan. Stir in the center of the pan to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture turns a medium amber color. Swirl the pan occasionally once the color begins to change.

Step 9

Remove from heat and carefully add remaining ¼ cup water (mixture will spatter when you add the water), soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, lemongrass and chili garlic sauce. Stir well then return to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside. (If you like a thicker sauce, just let it simmer a little longer to desired consistency.)