Name: Soft Rice Paper Rolls with Pork Loin and Scented with Roasted Rice Powder (Bì Cuốn)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon fine white pepper; 250 g (9 oz) pork loin; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar; 2 garlic cloves, pounded; 150 g (5½ oz) pork skin (da heo), cut into thin strips; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons roasted rice powder; 2 teaspoons fried garlic; 1 bunch mint; 80 g (2¾ oz/1 cup firmly packed) shredded iceberg lettuce; 18 sheets of 22 cm (8½ in) rice paper; dipping fish sauce, to serve; 1½ teaspoons garlic oil; 1 bunch perilla leaf; 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Secrets of the Red Lantern

By Pauline Nguyen , Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen

Published 2007

About

Mark Jensen: The firm texture in the bi cuon rolls is due to the pork skin in the bi mixture. Pork skin can be bought at any Asian supermarket. It can be found in the refrigerated section pre-cooked and already cut into strips.

Ingredients

Pork Marinade

1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1

Method

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Brush the pork loin with the marinade and leave to stand for 30 minutes. In a wok or frying pan heat the oil and seal the pork well on all sides, add the marinade to the pan and enough water to just cover the pork. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the water has evaporated, turnin