My favorite thing about traditional Vietnamese cuisine is how fresh everything tastes. This classic recipe is not only colorful but healthy and tasty as well!
Roast Pork Lettuce Wraps(Serves 4-6)
• 1 lb roast pork shoulder, chopped into cubes
• 1 package of thin rice vermicelli, aka Vietnamese bánh hỏi
• 1 head green leaf lettuce
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• fresh mint
• fish sauce, for dipping
1. Saute minced garlic in vegetable oil until crispy. Add in chopped green onions and stir lightly on low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Boil rice vermicelli in water for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Drain and place on lettuce leaf.
3. Add roast pork on top of vermicelli. You’ll most frequently find bánh hỏi served with crispy roast pork but almost any other meat works as well.
As I’ve mentioned before, Asians LOVE their meat. If you’ve ever been able to brave past the intimidating window display of hanging roast ducks and pigs in a Chinese butcher shop, you’ll know that inside you’ll find some of the tastiest roasts and BBQs known to man. I remember as a kid keeping an eye on the parking meter with my mother in Manhattan’s Chinatown as my father rushed into a butcher shop to put in an order for an entire roast pig, which we often had for major holidays and milestone birthdays. After we blew out candles and said our prayers, it was always my grandmother who took on the task of chopping up and serving the pork. Only years later did we learn that the same sweet pork meat with extra crunchy skin (my favorite part!) could be made at home fuss free with just a small cut of pork from our local grocery store. Now I can savor these little bites in the comfort of my own home without the hassle of driving home an entire roast pig from NYC!
Crispy Pork Shoulder (Serves 4)
• 2 lbs pork shoulder, with skin
• 1 tsp meat tenderizing salt
• 2 cubes of fermented bean curd (easily found in any Asian food store)
• 1/4 tsp five spice powder
• 1/4 tsp Chinese rice wine For the skin:
• 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
• 1 drop red + 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
1. Wash meat thoroughly and lay the pork shoulder with the skin facing down. If necessary, trim excess meat so the entire piece lays down evenly – doing so ensures the pork bakes thoroughly and consistently throughout. Make incisions into the meat about 1 inch apart, stopping about a centimeter above the skin.
2. Mix together tenderizing salt, fermented bean curd, five spice powder, and 1/4 tsp of rice wine. Spread mixture evenly on top of the pork and between slits. Flip over to the skin side.
3. Mix together white vinegar, baking soda, and rice vinegar. We like to add a little bit of food coloring to bring out the bright colors of the skin, but this is totally up to your preference or availability. Use a brush to coat skin with vinegar and baking soda mixture. The baking soda allows for the skin to become crispy without getting too chewy. Place seasoned pork in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure you save the coating mixture for the next day! After at least 12 hours, remove the chilled pork and apply an additional coat of vinegar and baking soda mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes with the skin side down. After 30 minutes, use a paper towel or a baster to remove any excess pan drippings. Flip over so the skin is on top and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
5. After an additional 30 minutes, turn the oven to broil and broil the skin for no more than 5 minutes. This will require some monitoring/staring through the oven window! Personally, I think this is the most crucial but fun part, watching the skin magically grow crispier and crispier before your very eyes!
6. Chop into 1-2 inch cubes and serve with a dipping sauce and/or white rice. Yum!
I’m not a big fan of watching TV, but I am a sucker for a good documentary, especially one about food. I’m a bit late to the game, but last weekend’s chilly weather led me to PBS’s “Mind of a Chef,” a series that showcases foods and cuisines in both a cultural and scientific lens. In the first episode, David Chang of Momofuku fame explores the history and beauty of ramen. In my favorite scene, he demonstrates ramen’s versatility by using it to make gnocchi. Can you believe it? Gnocchi! I was totally shocked (and admittedly a little grossed out) and completely ready to give it a shot. I rewatched the scene a few times, in utter awe of Chang’s thought process, and scrambled in my kitchen to find the handful of ingredients to begin my experiment. The outcome: amazing! Does it taste exactly like traditional potato gnocchi? Not entirely. But is it easy to make and delicious in its own right? Absolutely.
3. Place boiled ramen into a food processor and grind. Add in 2 egg yolks and continue pureeing until mixture is smooth.
4. Spoon mixture into a ziploc bag. Pack tightly into the bottom corner of the bag. Snip the tip off of one corner, about 3/4 inch. If necessary, drain any excess liquid through the snipped corner.
5. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat and squeeze gnocchi mix out of ziploc bag. Use a knife to slice gnocchi bites into 1-1.5 inch pieces.
6. Boil gnocchi for 1-2 minutes or until gnocchi floats. Remove gnocchi from water and drain.
7. In a skillet, melt butter. Saute gnocchi for about 5 minutes, continuously stirring until gnocchi pieces are evenly toasted. Be sure to stir carefully as the freshly boiled gnocchi are fragile and can easily break apart.
8. Remove from heat and serve with shaved parmesan, chopped parsley, and fresh ground black pepper. A ramen meal for one never felt so classy!
I’ve spent most of my life hating on fish sauce, much to the abhorrence of both my very Vietnamese parents. I detested the pungent, salty scent of the anchovies so much that I hardly ever made the effort to truly taste the sauce that runs through the veins of my people. Only when I recently stumbled upon an anchovy in my caesar salad by accident did I realize how delicious these little buggers are! Not only are they full of flavor, but a small serving of them is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower the risk of heart disease. Here’s a super easy and tasty way to pack a real anchovy punch.
Anchovy Bruschetta (Serves 2-4)
• 1 French baguette
• 2 2oz cans of anchovies in oil
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
1. Slice baguette loaf diagonally into large 1/2 inch slices. Lay bread slices evenly onto a baking sheet.
6. Drain anchovy fillets and place sparingly onto bread, about 1-2 large fillets per slice. Anchovies are quite salty so we don’t want to add too much!
7. Top off bruschetta with shaved parmesan cheese.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Garnish with fresh ground black pepper to taste.
