Chan Gio Muoi Hun Khoi (Smoked Salt Cured Pork Hock)
Vietnamese dishesPickles and PreservesNorthwest Vietnam3 hours 30 minutes, not counting 24 hours in brine
Chan gio muoi hun khoi gives you a roll of pork with taut, glossy skin, pink meat and the smell of smoke woven through mac khen pepper. Sliced thin on a plate it is a handsome dish for drinks, and it keeps well in the refrigerator.
Timing the smoke is the hardest part: too little and the flavor is faint, too much and the meat turns bitter and dry. A 3 to 5 minute blanch before brining tightens the skin so the hock sits plump inside its net. After smoking, the skin needs to air dry until firm, and only then do the slices come out dry and fragrant.
This batch weighs about 1.8kg, at roughly 214 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 1.2kg pork hock and scrape off any hair left on the skin. Mix 1 tablespoon salt with the juice of 1 lime and water, soak the meat for 10 minutes, rinse again and drain completely.
Score the inside of the hock lightly, then rub it with 30g minced lemongrass, 20g minced garlic, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 teaspoon ground mac khen. Work the marinade in firmly and chill for 2 hours.
Toast 10g mac khen, 10g Sichuan pepper, 20g white peppercorn, 1 black cardamom, 1 star anise and 3 hat doi until fragrant, then grind them finely.
Boil 2 liters of water with 2 tablespoons salt and let it cool. Wipe the marinade off the outside of the meat, slide the hock into a shaping net, smooth the skin taut and tie both ends tightly.
Blanch the hock in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes to firm the skin. Put it in a container, pour over the brine to cover, seal and chill for 24 hours.
Lift the meat out and drain. Line the base of a pot with 30cm of foil, add 100g rice, 100g salt, 45g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and the ground spice mix, and stir until it starts to smoke.
Set a steamer rack on top, lay 3 lemongrass stalks on it, place the hock over them, cover and smoke for 1 hour, turning the meat every 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat, leave the meat in the covered pot for 30 minutes, then dry it uncovered in the refrigerator until the skin feels firm.
Cut away the net, slice thinly and serve.
Tips
A 3 to 5 minute blanch in boiling water before brining firms the skin and keeps the hock plump and neat.
After smoking, the skin needs to air dry until firm so the slices come out dry and fragrant.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend does not brown on its own, so use caramel sauce or reduced fresh coconut water for a deeper color.
Stir the rice and salt mixture until it gives off a light bluish smoke before the rack goes in, because thick white smoke tends to leave a bitter taste.
A sharp knife and cold meat give thin slices that hold their shape.
Wrapped tightly and kept chilled, the hock is at its best within 4 to 5 days.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.