True, I usually cut up the cube or under season and add salt when using it.
Don’t Vietnamese use a lot of different bones to make the beef stock? Like shank, oxtail, knuckle, neck bones for one pot of stock.
Also I think they blanche the bones in really hot water instead of browning them in a oven like you do for French/German beef stock.
Then everything gets slow simmered for hours, at least 3-4.
It’s one of the reasons people go out for good pho, the stock is very time intensive.
Here is a Vietnamese American chef discussing the process.
I’ve found that when cooking Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese, a trip to an Asian grocery store is key. It’s about a 35 minute drive in either direction to get to the good ones for me, but very worth it.
Usually I go to the two Japanese supermarkets near me, but my first visit to a Korean butcher counter was quite a revelation.
Pork belly (Schweinebauch) is pretty much impossible to find in the US without a trip to the Asian butcher.
I love this grilled until crispy then dusted with sharp paprika, and served with bratwurst, curry ketchup, German mustard, a green salad and a Southern German potato salad. Maybe some thinly sliced white radishes on the side with chives and seasalt. What say @linguafood?
So friggin good. Delishus.
So Asian butcher, they’re not just for Asian any more.
And my Mexican butcher around the corner carries smoked pork loin (Kassler Ripchen), which also comes in handy.
I made some bánh cuốn using a recipe from Andrea Nguyen’s Into The Vietnamese Kitchen. I didn’t have fried shallots, so I used some French’s fried onions as a garnish.
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really re the pork belly? i see it all the time (live in San Francisco). or are you speaking of a specific type?
Wow, that looks good! I want it!
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did u make your own wrapper?
I had it in my list to try a month ago, but forgot to see if there is any ready made wrapper in the store.
I know the home made ones are better, but am not sure if I have the time
You are lucky then
In maryland or Va, one has to go the Asian store for them
Alternatively, we used to go to the wholesale butcher shop, buy a whole pork belly.
I liked that better as the ones at the Asian stores typically measures 3" -4"-
The wholesale store can cut them to size for us , prefer the 6" ones
Roast them in my turbo broiler till they are very crispy, dipper ini vinegar soy sauce garlic sauce with a salad called Atchara (Atchara or Atcharang Papaya is an appetizer made from pickled green papaya. Julienned or grated green papaya are placed in airtight containers and soaked for a week in cooked vinegar and sugar mixture with onions, garlic, ginger, peppercorn, and red bell pepper.)
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Yes, this recipe called for 0.5 cups each of tapioca starch, cornstarch, and Thai rice flour, along with 3 cups of water, 0.5 teaspoons of salt, and a couple teaspoons of oil. I used half a recipe’s worth.
I have all those ingredients at hand but worry it would be too difficult to make the wrapper?
Perhaps, I should buy some ready made and see if my son likes it
if he does, I will attempt to make it
Did it take u sometime to perfect the crepe wrapper?
I make crepe suzette, ( use ready mix as my brother owns Waffle International and send me the mix for crepes and waffles) but do not use my All Clad non stick omelet pan,
Instead, I just use my tapan grill . It makes a very fast breakfast.
Very fast, I do not care if my crepes are really round .
It was my first time making them and a few came out wrinkled, but I was still able to use those. You basically pour the batter in a thin layer in a preheated nonstick pan, cover, let it cook for 45 seconds, remove cover and let cook for another 30 seconds or so, and then flip it onto an oiled inverted baking sheet.
th anks for info
Do you think tapioca starch is essential? (I have tapioca grains though.)
Other ingredients like cornstarch, rice flour and mushrooms etc, I have them at hand and will like to try it without spending another hour going to buy tapioca flour.
Probably, I’ve seen it in pretty much all the recipes I’ve seen online. Maybe you can make the grains into flour with a food processor/blender/spice grinder?
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In NJ have to go to Asian or Eastern European butcher to get the belly.
This works very well - I do it all the time for pie thickener.
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Hey HOs - just a heads up that nominations for next quarter’s cuisine are now open! Head over to the nomination thread and hit me with your suggestions for fall.
Oh no, already time?! We haven’t finished cooking Vietnamese yet… so much fun!
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