vietnamese fresh spring rolls with 2 dipping sauces

the best thing about a vietnamese pho restaurant, in my opinion, is the fresh spring rolls they serve with the yummy dipping sauces...my FAVE!  since i no longer live close to any decent vietnamese restaurants, i started making them at home.  here is a super authentic recipe that delivers spring rolls that taste as good as golden deli (at least that's what i tell myself!).  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 2 ounces rice vermicelli

- 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

- 1/2 pound pork tenderloin

- 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half

- handful of fresh thai basil, mint leaves and cilantro, thinly shredded 

- 1 small carrot, thinly shredded

- 2 lettuce leaves, thinly shredded

dipping sauce #1 (nuoc cham)

- 4 teaspoons fish sauce

- 1/4 cup warm water

- juice of half a lime

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

dipping sauce #2 (peanut hoisin sauce)

- 1/2 cup water

- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

directions:

- marinate pork with salt and pepper; cook in frying pan then set aside

- once pork is cool, slice into thin pieces and set aside

- prepare rice vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package; run the noodles under cool water, drain then set aside

- create a mini assembly line with the following: a large bowl of lukewarm water, a couple clean kitchen towels, a plate of cooked shrimp halves, a bowl of vermicelli, a bowl of chopped fresh herbs, a bowl of shredded lettuce and carrots mixed, a plate of pork slices, and an empty plate with a damp paper towel on top

- to assemble the rolls, soak a rice wrapper in the lukewarm water for a second, transfer to a kitchen towel, add a couple halves of shrimp to the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line, followed by some vermicelli noodles, herbs, lettuce, and a couple thin slices of pork all in the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line

- at the bottom of the horizontal line of ingredients, quickly fold the wrapper up, then fold in either side.  lastly, carefully fold the top of the wrapper in to complete the spring roll

- quickly place the spring roll on the empty plate and cover with damp paper towel; make the rest of the spring rolls following each step above

- i highly recommend serving the spring rolls ASAP with the dipping sauces (directions below)

- to make dipping sauce #1, dissolve sugar in warm water, then mix the rest of the ingredients in and set aside

- to make dipping sauce #2, puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth; refrigerate

- enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

buta no kakuni, aka japanese style braised pork

this japanese braised pork dish is originated/inspired by the chinese dongpo pork dish.  tender and delicious, the pork belly (or pork shoulder/butt, which i personally like using for this recipe) is braised for a few hours in a yummy broth of soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, garlic and star anise.  the outcome is an amazing dish that melts in your mouth.  very easy to make (just takes a little time)...and perfect with a hot bowl of rice :)

ingredients:

- 2 pounds pork butt or pork belly (skinless)

- 1 japanese white radish (aka daikon), sliced into 1-inch rounds then halved

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/2 cup soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon salt

- a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thick rounds

- 3 garlic cloves, smashed

- 1 piece of star anise

- 1 stalk of green onion, thinly sliced

directions:

- cut the pork belly or pork butt into large chunks

- heat a medium dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat

- add pork and brown all sides

- once browned, push pork chunks to one side of the pan; add sugar to the other side of the pan and caramelize

- stir and combine the carmelized sugar with the pork

- add the water, mirin, sake, soy sauce, salt, ginger, garlic, star anise and daikon slices

- cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to super low and simmer for 3-4 hours

- check the pot every hour or so to gently stir and to make sure there is enough braising liquid (ingredients should be submerged); add water if needed

- after about 3-4 hours, check the flavorings and add soy sauce if needed

- once done, sprinkle the green onion slices on top and serve with warm white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

amazing cabbage pork shrimp dumplings

these super juicy, delicious dumplings might take an extra hour to make, but they're super yummy and worth the wait (and work)!  plus - it's really fun making dumplings with friends and family.  throw a dumpling party!

 

ingredients:

- 1 package of refrigerated dumpling skins

- 3/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

- 3/4 pound ground pork (not the super lean stuff!)

- 2 cups of finely chopped napa cabbage (approx. 1/2 head of cabbage)

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt

- 3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced

- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons rice wine (or dry sherry)

- 1 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

dipping sauce (just combine together!)

- 1 teaspoon asian chili sauce

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 2 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

directions for the filling:

- in a medium bowl, toss the cabbage and kosher salt together and set aside for 30 minutes

- put cabbage into a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and wring out as much liquid as possible

- coarsely chop the raw shrimp

- in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, shrimp, green onion, garlic, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper

- cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes

directions for making dumplings:

- spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto dumpling skin

- brush some water around the edge of the dumpling skin and fold in half

- pinch the corners, then pleat one side of the dumpling skin toward the center (see picture)

- to ensure the dumpling pleats stay intact, use a tiny bit of additional water if necessary

- place finished dumplings on a lined baking sheet, in a single layer so they don't touch each other

directions for pan-searing/frying dumplings:

- heat vegetable oil in a skillet until hot

- place the dumplings flat side down on the skillet over medium-high heat

- cook until the bottoms are lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes

- add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid, and steam dumplings, 3-4 minutes

- remove lid and cook off any liquid, 1 minute

- serve with the amazing dipping sauce!  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara