Sticky pork rice paper rolls

Lunch | Vietnamese

Prep time: 55 min Cook time: 10 min Servings: 8

Rice Paper Rolls break all the rules when it comes to food on the go. Usually we think, crispy, fried and a little naughty (which I love), but this street food is light, nourishing and filled with lots of good things. They’re also very easy to make, only requiring a handful of ingredients which can be tailored to your taste.

These Vietnamese rolls are something I like to make toward the end of the week when I have a few fresh vegetables in the fridge and a protein to use up.

For this recipe, we’re going to make a sticky pork as the protein and that’s going to bring lots of flavour so the rest of the ingredients are just there to support.

Ingredient Notes

Rice paper sheets: Rice paper sheets are thin, dry rounds made from rice flour. They soften quickly when dipped in water and become pliable and sticky. Find them in the Asian aisle at the supermarket or at any Asian grocery store. The key technique is to dip them briefly in cold water until just barely wet, then place them on the board. They continue to soften as you work. If they’re already completely soft when you start rolling, they’ll tear easily.

Pork loin: Pork loin is lean and quick-cooking, which makes it well suited to a hot chargrill. Slice it as thinly as possible, around 3mm, so it cooks quickly and absorbs the marinade deeply. It must be fully cooled before going into the rolls, otherwise the heat softens the rice paper from the inside and makes rolling difficult.

Hot honey: Hot honey is honey infused with chilli. It adds sweetness, heat and the sticky quality that helps the marinade caramelise on the chargrill. Most supermarkets stock it now, or you can make it by warming regular honey with a pinch of dried chilli flakes. If you only have regular honey, add a small extra dash of sriracha to compensate for the heat.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Saucepan
Chargrill pan or frying pan
Shallow bowl
Tongs

Ingredients

1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp hot honey
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
350g pork loin, thinly sliced
ground white pepper, to season
100g rice vermicelli
Vietnamese mint, carrot battons, coriander, sliced spring onions for filling
peanut dipping sauce, Nuoc Cham, to serve
8 rice paper sheets

Directions

Combine sriracha, honey, fish sauce, soy and garlic and mix well.
Stir through pork and season with white pepper, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
Cook vermicelli in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute, until softened. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well.
Heat an oiled chargrill pan over medium-high heat.
Cook pork for 5-6 minutes, turning, until well browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
To assemble, dip a rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl of cold water, until just wet all over, then place smooth side down on a clean work surface.
Start layering towards the top end of the paper with Vietnamese mint, carrot, coriander, spring onions, slices of pork then vermicelli.
Fold over the top to encase the fillings, then bring in the sides and roll up to completely enclose.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, then serve immediately with dipping sauces, or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe notes