Imagine a sweet, sour, salty and spicy charcuterie with a chewy bite… Nem Chua is Vietnamese cured pork meat with a unique taste, traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and enjoyed during special occasions such as Têt (Lunar New Year).
I made Nem Chua with cooked ham instead of raw meat, as safer for the home cook. It’s still delicious and tangy! Nem Chua is so versatile as it can be enjoyed as a snack (with cold beer) or prepared as fresh rolls, salads, fried rice or vermicelli.
Make sure to read through the recipe before start. Nem Chua should be made 2 or 3 days before serving.
A warning: they could become pretty addictive!
Nem Chua – Vietnamese Pickled Meat, made from baked ham
Equipment
- Mixing bowl, spatula, colander, strainer, plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked ham Do not use smoked ham
- 4 tsp roasted rice powder
- 8 oz cooked pork skin, sliced Sold frozen in Asian store, defrost
- 6 drops red food color
- 2 Thai chili, finely chopped Adjust as per your taste
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar Adjust as per your taste
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 4 tbsp sugar Adjust as per your taste
For the binding pork skin mixture
- 3 drops red food color
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce Adjust as per your taste
For decoration
- 2 Thai chilis, finely sliced
- 3 Cloves garlic finely sliced
- 12-15 Vietnamese Coriander (Rau Ram) leaves Optional
Instructions
- Slice and julienne the cooked ham by hand, the texture will be better than using a food processor
- Wash the pork skin in a bowl of salted water, until it doesn't feel greasy, around 30 seconds. Put in a colander and rinse well under running water, squeeze dry and use cissors to cut into short strands and leave it to dry
- Mix the apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water, total 3/4 cup liquid – Mix with the roasted rice powder till well blended. Strain over mesh to just get the liquid, discard the remaining rice powder in strainer. Add food coloring in the liquid, then add the sugar, stir well
- Pour the liquid over the julienne ham in a bowl, mix well. Add half of the pork skin (4 oz). Leave it to brine for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- After the brine, strain the ham and pork skin mix, discard the liquid. Add the minced garlic, Thai chili and cracked pepper, mix well
- Meanwhile, prepare the pork skin mixture which will act as a glue to bind everything together. In a small saucepan over high heat, put the water, red color, fish sauce and remaining 4 oz pork skin, stir until the mixture boils about 1 minute. Reduce heat and cook for another 6 minutes, while stirring. By then the pork skin looks melted. Blend well. Cool down for 10 minutes before mixing it to the ham mixture. Make sure not to let it go completely cold or it will become hard and will not blend with the ham.
- Using your hands to mix the pork skin mixture well into the ham. When well mixed, put the whole mixture into a zip block bag, let any air out and seal. Push the whole mixture against the zip side of the bag to make it a flat rectangle, very compact and tight, fold over the empty part of the plastic bag and tape it. Put the bag in the refrigerator with a heavy flat object on top (like a heavy chopping board) and put other heavy objects on top of the chopping board to further press down the ham mixture in the zip block bag. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
- The next day, take out the ham mixture from the bag. Cut into even pieces, as you wish, either long strips, or individual pieces (2-finger size).
- Decorate with sliced chili, garlic, Rau Ram or Vietnamese Coriander (optional). Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap, very tightly, like wrapping candies by twisting the two ends and folding them behind.
- The Nem Chua is now ready to be served, or better, refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Notes
The key point is to pack the meat very tightly in the zip block bag so it’s a compressed thin rectangle, fold over any loose plastic from the bag and tape it down. Then use a flat tray and heavy object on top to press the the zip block bag in the refrigerator over night to make sure the meat consistency is firm.
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