Ingredients
- Nem Nuong (see ingredients below)
- French baguette or demi baguettes
- Home made pate
- Home made mayonnaise
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Jalapeno or thai chili pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- Pickled carrots and daikon
- Maggi or light soy sauce (optional)
- Nem Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Patties)
- 2 lbs. ground pork (you may mix ground turkey or chicken to reduce fat)
- 1-2 heads of garlic (cloves peeled; we love the intense garlic flavor but use according to taste)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tbs salt
- 1/2 tbs pepper
- 4 tsp or 1 small package of baking powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 drop red food coloring or 1 tsp coco caramel syrup (optional and found in most Asian groceries)
Preparation
Step 1
Grill the nem nuong. In the mean time, split baguette down the side (hollow out the inside if your bagguette has too much filling) and toast lightly. Spread on pate and mayonaise. Add the grilled nem nuong and top with cucumber slices, cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon and optional chili and a few spritz of Maggi or light soy sauce.
Using food processor, process garlic until fine puree. Combine pork, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar in mixing bowl and mix well. In separate bowl, combine baking powder, water, drop of red food coloring or caramel syrup (this adds a very nice color to the pork when grilled) and stir. Mixture will fluff and foam.
Fold the baking powder into mixture and allow meat to chill for about 30 min to 1 hr or longer for more bouncier, airy texture. The baking powder adds more firmer, bouncier texture. Now you’re ready to form the patties. Keep meat mixture in the fridge for a few hours to let it set and easier to handle when forming patties or mini sausages. Keep a bowl of water handy and your hands wet for easy handling.
We use an indoor grill (such as George Foreman) as it’s quick, easy to clean, and makes great grill marks. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred.