Nem Chua – Vietnamese Fermented Pork Roll
Nem Chua is a Vietnamese specialty made from raw, fermented pork with a characteristic sour note from natural lactic acid fermentation. The mixture of pork mince, pork skin, and seasonings is tightly rolled and fermented at room temperature for several days. Subsequent light cold smoking stabilizes the product and adds a subtle smoky note.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparing the meat
20 minutesKeep the very fresh, lean pork mince well chilled (nearly frozen for better binding). Cut the pre-cooked pork skin into very thin strips. Mix fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and white pepper and knead evenly into the meat mixture until it is slightly sticky.
Rolling and Fermenting
72-96 hoursPortion the mixture (approx. 80-100 g) onto cling film or banana leaves and roll into tight cylinders. Seal the ends well. Ferment at 25-28 °C for 3-4 days. Check daily: the roll is ready when it smells pleasantly sour and has a firm texture.
Cold smoking
2-4 hoursRemove the fermented rolls from the film, pat dry, and cold-smoke using a cold smoke generator at max. 25-30 °C with rice straw and bamboo chips for 2-4 hours. The smoke improves shelf life and adds a subtle aroma without cooking the meat. Store in the refrigerator afterward.
Pro Tip
The fermentation temperature is crucial: below 22 °C the roll ferments too slowly; above 30 °C undesirable bacteria can develop. Fresh garlic on the outside of the roll naturally inhibits mold.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.