Nem Chua (Cured/Fermented Beef)

"...Mừng ngày Tết ta chúc cho nhau

Một năm thêm sung túc an vui

Người nông dân thêm lúa thóc

Người thương gia mau phát tài..."

Next on our Tết menu is Nem Chua. This savory, addicting Nem Chua is usually served as an h'orderve with raw garlic and fresh chili pepper. It has a sweet, sour, salty, spicy taste with a rubbery texture. And once you have tasted one, you cannot help but continue, until you realize your tongue is on fire.

Traditionally, the main ingredients are minced pork, shredded pork skin and a mixture of seasoning. The mixture is then wrapped in a thin layer of an aromatic, fresh leaf of guava (lá ổi), or Otaheite gooseberry leaf (lá chùm ruột), then in another layer of banana leaf; it's then formed into boxy roll. These rolls are then stored for the natural fermentation process for a few days in a cool place before they are ready to eat. You can either eat it from the leaf or charcoat grill it.

Instead of pork, I made a batch of beef Nem Chua as it's safer for my children to eat and it also takes less days to cure it. The recipe below can be used for both Porkand Beef Nem Chua.

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RECIPE: Nem Chua

Ingredients

3 lbs of extra Lean Beef or Pork, ask the butcher to ground three times
1 lb bag or 2 bags of 7 oz frozen Shredded Cooked Pork Skin (available at Asian grocers in different sizes)

1 tbsp roasted Whole Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) Sugar

3 tablespoons Smirnoff Triple Distilled Vodka

3 bags of Nam Powder Seasoning Mix (available at Asian grocers)

Thai chile, sliced into small pieces
1 head of Garlic, thinly sliced

13 x 9 inches Quarter Baking Sheet

Preparing Meat and Meat Mixture

Beef - choose beef that has the leanest cuts of beef such as eye round, top round, round tip, top sirloin, bottom round, top loin, and tenderloin. You can also get extra lean ground beef which has 95 percent lean at any supermarkets then ground two more times.

Pork - choose the leanest pork cuts, look for the word “loin” in the name, such as pork tenderloin or sirloin chop. You can also get extra lean ground pork then ground two more times.

Shredded Pork Skin - Rinse in salt and water, then rinse a few more time with water. Squeeze out excess water and allow to dry. Cut into about 2 inches strings.

In a large bowl, combine the pork or beef, pork skin, sugar, ground pepper, whole peppercorns, wine, and the seasoning mix except those little bags you find inside the seasoning mix bags. Mix really well with your hands (you might need to use plastic gloves).

Add those little bags of seasoning mix and continue mix it until it gets sticky and all the mixtures distribute evenly.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Spread the mixture in a baking sheet. If you have another quarter baking sheet, put it on top of the mixture baking sheet and press it down until it's packed and evenly. Cover it up with another plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place it at a cool place and allow it to cure for at least 2 days. If it's pork nem chua, it will take at least an extra day to cure.

When done, the beef Nem Chua will turn red and the pork Nem Chua will have a light pink color. Slice Nem Chua into small sizes. Place a piece of chili pepper and a slice of garlic on top of Nem Chua then wrap each individually with plastic wrap or banana leaf. Store in the frigde to keep it from getting extra sour.