GIO LUA RECIPES

Steps:

• Clean meat of fat and tendon.
• Use a mortar to pound meat till smooth.
• Add fish sauce and salt.
• Mix well.
• Wrap meat into a log using banana leaves, tie well with strings.
• Boil meat in a large pot over medium heat for 1-1.
• 5 hours.
• Drain the cooked meat, let cool before opening the leaves.
• To serve, slice meat into rings, then wedges and dip into fish sauce.

Steps:

• Cut the pork into smaller pieces. In batches, grind them up in a food processor until smooth.
• Add the rest of the ingredients onto the ground meat and mix until well blended.
• Cover and freeze the meat for 6-7 hours.
• Remove the meat from the freezer and allow to thaw for app. 1 hour.
• In batches, grind the meat again in the food processor until smooth.
• In small portions, wrap the meat in banana leaves (my mother-in-law also uses aluminum foil), shaping them into logs, then tie with string or twine to ensure water does not seep into the foil/leaf during boiling. (See Note 1)
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and fully submerge the logs of meat for 40 minutes, or until an inserted meat thermometer reads 165°F.
• Allow the Vietnamese ham to cool before serving or refrigerate and serve cold. See Note 2.