Nem Chua (Vietnamese Cured Pork/Beef)

You can find Vietnamese fermented pork at banh mi shops and Asian supermarkets. However, commercial versions can be made with a lot of pork skin fillers and added dye.

It’s usually made with lean ground pork, but beef versions are becoming more common. The raw seasoned meat is mixed with cooked thinly sliced pork skin (Bì Heo), which is often mistaken for noodles.

To ferment, it’s traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and left at room temperature for a few days until it turns bright pink.

Luckily, we now have a modern method that is more reliable with a widely available curing packet. This reduces the curing time to 24 hours in the fridge.

The cured meat is then cut into squares or rectangles unless it was already cured in its final shape, such as small logs.

For the final touch, it’s garnished with fresh garlic, chili, and Vietnamese coriander (rau răm).

The curing process gives nem chua a chewy texture. Beef nem chua stays pinker than the pork version. My favorite? Beef!

• Lean beef or pork – Traditional nem chua uses pork, but beef is an alternative for those cautious about consuming raw pork. If using pork, look for pork loin. If using beef, look for beef eye round. Both cuts of meat are lean and perfect for making nem chua.

• Curing mix – Often labeled as nam powder seasoning mix. It’s usually found in the spice aisle. The bag includes basic seasonings like salt and sugar and a smaller bag inside that cures the meat. Here in northern California, the two most common brands are Lobo and Dragon Fly. I’ve used both and they work well, so I usually buy whichever is cheaper, though Lobo is the more well-known brand.

• Sugar, salt and coarsely ground black peppercorns – The seasoning mix alone isn’t enough, so we’ll add a bit more sugar and salt for extra flavor. You can use whole black peppercorns, but I find them too intense, so I prefer coarsely ground pepper.
• Pork Skin (Bì Tươi) – You can typically find these in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores. They are already cooked and thinly sliced.

• Roasted rice powder – An optional ingredient. Find them in the spice section in small clear baggies. It’s used to toss the pork skin for added aroma and flavor. When using pork, I usually leave it out because pork cures to a lighter pink than beef. The roasted rice powder can create brown spots that stand out against the pale pink, so I either omit it or use much less in pork versions.
• Garlic and red chili peppers (Thai chili peppers, also known as Bird’s Eye chilies) – Some will be mixed into the ground meat, and the rest will be thinly sliced and used as garnish.

• Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) – Added at the end for a distinct Vietnamese touch. If you don’t have Vietnamese coriander, you can substitute basil or even cilantro. You can also leave it out entirely if you prefer.
• Shaping container – You can use Ziploc bags or any glass container to shape the meat. You can also use plastic wrap and roll the mixture into logs. After making this many times, a glass baking dish is now my go-to.

Squeeze out any excess moisture, drain well, and allow it to dry completely.

Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and use scissors to cut it into small pieces. Toss with toasted rice powder (optional) and set aside.

Let it thaw slightly until you can cut it into frozen cubes. Keeping it partially frozen helps prevent overheating when processing.

Process until the mixture becomes a sticky, smooth paste, scraping down the sides occasionally. This takes about 5 minutes total in my food processor.

Transfer the meat paste to the bowl with the pork skin and mix until evenly combined.

If eating right away, garnish with a sliver of garlic, chili peppers and a Vietnamese coriander leaf. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled for the ultimate Vietnamese salami.

Print