SLIGHT INFUSIONS

Vietnamese food has always been considered underrated in our country. When planning an outing, people prefer to go for Chinese, Italian, Continental, Mexican, Indian (well, obvously) or Japanese fare. Whereas, there are very few who actually opt for Vietnamese or Caribbean dishes.

However, this trend is now being broken, especially in metros such as Delhi.

Individuals are willing to experiment to a great extent with their palate. Though slowly, Far-Eastern dishes are are also gaining popularity.

Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, corporate chef at Viet-Nom, a joint that has given a rather internationally acceptable look and taste to Vietnamese cuisine, has travelled to the country to study the food culture there. He says that the food in Vietnam is a bit on the drier side of the palate, which would be slightly problematic for the Indians to accept. And, thus, the restaurant has played with the ingredients here and there, essentially trying to obtain as much authenticity as possible despite the changes. The food that is served here has the essence of Vietnamese culinary culture but it won’t ruin anyone’s outing just because she or he has tried out a new cuisine.

The chef emphasises on the fact that the country’s cuisine is not a monotonous one at any cost as it has a blend of both Western and Oriental cuisines.

However, it is understandable, since Indian food is given a twist while being served at an international location. So why not the same with Vietnamese food?

CHARGRILLED PORK RIBS

Ingredients         

• Fve-spice powder        15gm
• Hoisin sauce        80gm
• Honey        60gm
• Soy sauce        60ml
• Dry sherry        45ml
• Rack spareribs        1 rack  

Method

1. Season ribs all over with five-spice powder
2. Combine hoisin, honey, soy sauce, and sherry in a small bowl. Place ribs in a large resealable bag, add in sauce, and toss until evenly coated
3. Place bag in refrigerator and marinate overnight
4. Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with ash, pour out and arrange the coal on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat it for five minutes
5. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place the ribs on the cool side of the grill, reserving marinade
6. Cover and cook ribs for 30 minutes. Brush ribs all over with reserved marinade, cover, and cook an additional 30 minutes
7. Brush again with reserved marinade and move ribs directly over the coals. Grill until ribs are glazed, and sticky, for about five to 10 minutes.
8. Remove from grill, let rest for five minutes, and serve.