Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Pork Skin
- Place the pork skin in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. You want it soft enough to pierce easily with a chopstick, but not falling apart. Drain and let it cool completely before you touch it.
- Once cool, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut the skin into thin strips. Then cut across those strips into fine shreds, about 3 to 4cm long. The thinner the shreds, the better the texture in the finished roll.
Make the Roasted Rice Powder
- Put the jasmine rice into a dry skillet over medium-low heat. No oil. Stir constantly for 8 to 10 minutes until the rice turns deep golden brown and the kitchen smells like toasted nuts. Stay at the pan. The difference between perfect and burnt is about 60 seconds.
- Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. You want texture here, not flour. Stop grinding when it looks like coarse sand.
Cook and Shred the Pork
- Place the pork shoulder in a pot, cover with cold water, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through. Drain and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably.
- Shred by hand along the grain into thin fibres. Pull with the grain and you get long, clean strands. Pull against it and you get mush. Take your time here. Good shredding is the difference between chả bì that looks like a proper Vietnamese cold cut and one that looks like pulled pork.
Season and Combine
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded pork, pork skin strips, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, garlic powder, Maggi Seasoning Sauce, and salt. Mix thoroughly with clean hands until every strand is coated.
- Add the roasted rice powder and mix again. The powder will absorb surface moisture from the pork and bind everything together. Keep mixing until every piece is coated and the mixture looks dry and slightly crumbly. If it still feels wet, add another tablespoon of rice powder and mix again.
Press and Chill
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flat on your work surface. Pile the seasoned mixture into the centre and shape it roughly into a log about 6cm in diameter.
- Roll the plastic wrap tightly around it, twisting both ends to compress everything together. There should be no air gaps. The tighter you roll it, the cleaner it slices later.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is better. The cold firms the roll and makes slicing clean and easy. Unwrap, slice into 0.5cm rounds, and layer directly onto the baguette.
Notes
On sourcing pork skin: Most Asian grocery stores carry cleaned pork skin, either fresh or frozen. If you do not see it in the case, ask at the counter. It is a standard ingredient and almost always available.
On store-bought chả bì: Pre-made chả bì is sold vacuum-sealed at Vietnamese grocery stores. It is a legitimate shortcut when time is short. Buy from a Vietnamese grocer with high turnover for the best quality.
On texture: Chả bì should feel dry and slightly crumbly when sliced, not wet or sticky. The roasted rice powder is what creates that texture. Do not skip it and do not substitute it with raw rice flour.
On storage: Wrapped tightly in plastic, chả bì keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It does not freeze well as the texture breaks down when thawed.
For the full bánh mì assembly, see the Classic Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội recipe. For the bread, see the Glass Crust Baguette recipe. For the pickled vegetables, see the Đồ Chua recipe.