Cha Com (Hanoi Green Rice Pork Patties), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Method

1. Choose the later cut of com or older com, as both suit patties better than the tender young grade.
2. Blanch 100g pork back fat, then chop it small, and peel and chop 3 shallots.
3. Put 400g gio song, 200g minced pork shoulder, the chopped fat and the shallot in a bowl, then add 150g com a little at a time, mixing as you go.
4. Season with 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon MSG and 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
5. Put on gloves and knead and slap the mixture until it turns springy and even.
6. Divide it into equal portions, wet your hands lightly, then roll each portion into a ball and press it into a flat patty.
7. Line the steamer tray with banana leaf, brush on a little fat and lay the patties out with space between them. Steam over gently boiling water, with a cloth under the lid so the condensation does not drip down.
8. Take the patties out and let them cool completely.
9. Heat a pan of pork lard over medium heat and fry the patties. Once the underside is golden and the com grains rise to the surface, turn them and fry the other side.

Tips

• Gio song, the raw pork paste, is salty on its own, so the seasoning needs only a light hand.
• Com from the end of the tray, or the older grade, suits these patties better than the tender young com.
• Patties cooled completely after steaming are the ones that fry up golden and crisp.
• Add the com a little at a time and fold gently, since beating it hard breaks the grains and costs their chew.
• A cloth under the lid while steaming keeps water from dripping onto the patties.