How to make Thanh Hóa sour pork without banana leaves, delicious and irresistible

How to make Thanh Hoa sour pork rolls without banana leaves

• 1

  Prepare the meat and pork skin

  After buying the pork, remove the fat and tendons.

  Note: The cutting board and knife must also be dry when preparing the meat. Absolutely no water should touch them.

  Cut the cleaned meat into small slices and divide them into 5 portions, place them in plastic bags, and put them in the freezer refrigerator for about 1 hour to firm up the meat.

  Tip: Dividing the meat into small bags makes it easier to take out and grind in succession.

  Pork skin bought should be cleaned, put into a pot to boil for about 10 minutes, then take it out to drain completely and cool down before cutting into small strips.

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the additional ingredients

  Garlic, chili, and guava leaves should be washed clean, drained, and dried completely. For garlic and chili, chop half and slice the remaining half thinly. Guava leaves can be cut in half or into quarters depending on their size.

  Peppercorns should be ground to a slightly coarse texture at medium speed for about 5 seconds, just enough to crack them.

  

  

  
• 3

  Grind the meat

  After chilling the meat, take each bag out and grind it once using a meat grinder, each grinding session lasting 5 – 7 seconds at high speed.

  Note: Do not grind for too long as it will heat the meat and make it crumbly. Always keep the meat cold.

  After grinding this minced meat again into the freezer in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes. You grind the remaining meat bags until finished.

  Continue with the second meat grinding, take the meat out to grind it again until fine, maintaining the same grinding principle as the first time, ensuring the meat is cold and sticky. After finishing grinding all the meat a second time, transfer all the meat to a large bowl.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Mixing sour pork seasoning

  Add the chopped pig skin, minced garlic and chili, ground pepper, 50g of sugar, and 5 teaspoons of white wine into the bowl of minced meat, and mix well so that the ingredients and seasonings blend together.

  Continue to cut open 2 packs of Thai sour pork seasoning, setting aside the 2 small packets of starter yeast. Evenly sprinkle the 2 packets of yeast over the bowl of meat and continue to mix evenly for 7 – 10 minutes.

  Finally, cut the 2 small packets of starter yeast and sprinkle them evenly into the bowl, mixing well for an additional 2 – 3 minutes (at this point, you will notice the meat becomes firmer and the mixture heavier).

  

  

  
• 5

  Compress nem

  Prepare a rectangular mold, line it with plastic wrap, place the nem inside, compress tightly, and wrap it securely in multiple layers.

  After compressing the nem tightly, place it on a cutting board, and use a rolling pin to roll it back and forth several times. Then leave it outside at room temperature for 4 – 5 hours for the nem to become firm.

  Tip: To ensure the nem sticks together and is firm when eaten, you should use a rolling pin to roll over the piece of nem for about 5 minutes.

  

  

  

  
• 6

  Wrapping the nem

  After 4 – 5 hours, the nem will be firm. You remove the plastic wrap, use a knife to cut the nem into pieces, large or small depending on your preference.

  Decorate the surface of the nem piece with a slice of garlic, sliced chili, and finely chopped guava leaves for aesthetics. Continue to use plastic wrap to carefully wrap it tightly again. Do the same until all ingredients are used up.

  Let the wrapped nem sit at room temperature for about 1 day (in hot weather) or 2 days (if it’s cold) and then store it in the refrigerator to eat gradually.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Final Product

  Thanh Hoa sour nem without banana leaves will smell fragrant, have a slight sourness, and taste very good and hygienic.

  It can be made to snack on or to change the taste for holiday days or to save for eating during lockdown days.