Nem Chua Ran (Fried Fermented Pork Rolls), No Added Refined Sugar
Vietnamese dishesFried DishesNorthern Vietnam40 minutes preparing the pork skin, 4 hours grinding and chilling the pork, then wrapping and freezing
Home made fried nem chua is chewy and springy, lightly tangy and deep golden from the pan. The pleasure is in the crunchy shreds of pork skin running through each roll. The hard part is keeping the meat truly cold while grinding, because warm meat turns the rolls crumbly.
Grind the pork once, freeze it for 45 to 60 minutes until it firms up, then grind it a second time for about a minute. Once the skin is boiled, rinse it in cold water, shake it dry and spread it out until fully dry.
This batch weighs about 982g, at roughly 122 calories per 100g.
Method
Thaw 240g pork skin and rinse it in cold water to wash off some of the fat. Rub in 1 tablespoon salt, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water and shake dry.
Toss the skin with 2 to 3 tablespoons strong liquor and 1 small bruised piece of ginger and leave for 15 minutes. Put everything in a pot, cover with water and boil.
Once the water boils, lower the heat and cook a few minutes more until the skin is still springy. Lift it out, rinse in cold water, shake dry, squeeze in half a lime, toss well and spread it out to dry.
Chill 500g lean pork for about 3 hours until it is very cold, then grind for 1 to 2 minutes. Freeze for 45 to 60 minutes until it firms up, then grind a second time for about 1 minute.
Mix the ground pork with 10g finely minced fresh garlic, 1/2 tablespoon golden fried minced garlic, 3 to 4 finely minced chilies, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 20g cornstarch. Beat the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until it comes together into a smooth, elastic mass.
Cut the dried pork skin into strips 1 to 1.5cm long, fold them through the meat and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Divide the mixture into portions of about 35 to 40g and wrap each into a long cylinder in cling film, twisting both ends tightly so the roll is firm.
Freeze the rolls. To serve, thaw them, roll in panko breadcrumbs and fry until golden. Serve hot with chili sauce, alongside cucumber, jicama and green mango.
Tips
The pork has to be very cold before each grind, which is what makes the nem springy rather than like a meatball.
The pork skin has to be completely dry when it is mixed in, as any water leaves the nem soggy.
Do not boil the skin too long, since the collagen it gives up costs the crunch.
Twist both ends of the wrap tightly so the roll is firm and does not burst in the pan.
Twenty grams of tapioca starch per 500g of pork is enough, and more leaves the roll crumbly and leaking in the oil.
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.