Nem Nuong

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground pork (with some fat), well chilled
• 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced, plus 8 extra stalks for skewers
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 12 sheets rice paper
• 1 head lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 bunch fresh mint, cilantro, and perilla leaves
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pickled carrot and daikon
• 1/4 cup fish sauce, for nuoc cham
• 1/4 cup sugar, for nuoc cham
• 1/4 cup lime juice, for nuoc cham
• 1 clove garlic, minced, for nuoc cham
• 1 red chili, minced, for nuoc cham
• 1/2 cup warm water, for nuoc cham

Before you cook

• Mince the lemongrass, garlic, and shallots finely for the pork mixture
• Mix the ground pork with the minced lemongrass, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, sugar, oil, baking powder, and white pepper
• Knead and slap the pork mixture against the bowl for 3 minutes until it turns sticky and slightly pale
• Cover and refrigerate the pork mixture for at least 1 hour, or overnight
• Whisk together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, chili, and warm water for the nuoc cham and set aside
• Trim the 8 extra lemongrass stalks into skewer-length pieces

Steps

1. Wet your hands with a little water or oil to keep the pork from sticking
2. Mold about 3 tablespoons of the chilled pork mixture around each lemongrass stalk, pressing it into an even log shape
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat
4. Lightly oil the grill grates
5. Place the pork-wrapped skewers on the grill
6. Grill for 4 minutes on the first side until lightly charred
7. Turn the skewers and grill for 4 minutes on the next side
8. Continue turning every few minutes for a total of 12 to 14 minutes, until the pork is charred outside and cooked through to 145°F
9. Transfer the skewers to a platter
10. Dip a sheet of rice paper in warm water for 2 seconds to soften it
11. Lay the softened rice paper flat and top it with lettuce, herbs, cucumber, and pickled carrot and daikon
12. Slide the pork off one skewer onto the rice paper
13. Roll the rice paper tightly around the filling, folding in the sides
14. Serve the rolls with the nuoc cham dipping sauce alongside