Lemongrass Pork Meal Prep Bowls (37g Protein)

This is the pork from Vietnamese rice plates, the one with the charred edges and the sweet-savory lemongrass crust, rebuilt for a meal prep container. Four bowls, 37g of protein each, and the pickles keep everything tasting fresh on day four when most meal prep has given up.

Why this works

Tenderloin is the lean cut that stays tender at high heat, and the brown sugar in the marinade is doing structural work: it caramelizes where the pork meets the pan, which is where the grilled-over-charcoal flavor comes from on a stovetop. The quick pickles are the other half of the trick. Acid keeps a packed lunch tasting alive.

Ingredient notes

Lemongrass: peel off the woody outer layers and mince only the pale tender core from the bottom third of the stalk. Tubes of lemongrass paste work at about 1 tablespoon per stalk. Fish sauce smells aggressive from the bottle and tastes like depth in the dish; do not substitute soy sauce here, it is a different flavor entirely.

Lemongrass Pork Meal Prep Bowls

Caramelized lemongrass pork in the style of Vietnamese grilled pork, built for four days of lunches.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Calories: 560

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 700 g pork tenderloin sliced 1cm thick
• 3 stalks lemongrass tender core only, minced
• 2.5 tbsp fish sauce
• 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 carrots, ribboned
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar for the pickles

Method

 

1. Marinate the pork with lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and shallot. 20 minutes on the counter while you prep everything else, or overnight if you are organized.
2. Toss the carrot and cucumber with rice vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside; they pickle while you cook.
3. Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat until it shimmers. Lay the pork in a single layer and sear 2 to 3 minutes per side until the edges caramelize. Work in two batches; a crowded pan steams.
4. Build the bowls: rice, pork, drained pickles. Herbs on top if eating now, packed separately if prepping.

Tips and storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Store the pickles in their brine in a corner of the container or a small jar; drain before eating. The pork reheats well, but it is also legitimately good cold, which makes this the rare meal prep that survives a no-microwave day.