Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Easy Peanut Sauce

Add Pork belly and ginger to a pot and cover with room temp water and bring to a boil on high heat. Water should cover the pork by at least an inch or so.

After 10 minutes remove the impurities that come to the surface. I usually use a skimmer but you can also use a ladle or spoon.

Cover with a lid and turn down heat to medium and simmer for another 25 minutes until the pork reaches an internal temp of 145. The skin should be soft enough you can pierce it with a fork or chopstick without too much force.

Remove the pork when it is done cooking, and cover with plastic wrap or a lidded container. If left uncovered , the meat can darken.

Add the unpeeled shrimp into the same pot and cook only for 2 minutes until no longer transparent. Scoop out the shrimp once it is done cooking , and transfer directly into an ice bath.

Strain out some of the broth used to cook the pork and the shrimp for the dipping sauce (optional). You can also use warm water instead of the broth. I usually add about 1/2 Cup of broth to my peanut sauce but save about 1 cup to be on the safe side. If you do not plan to use your broth for the peanut sauce, just discard it.

Put 18 banh hoi noodles into a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water to cover for about 1.5 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. You can also use about 1/2 pack of vermicelli noodles and cook according to package instructions.

Wash , dry and prepare your veggies. If using chives, I usually cut them about 6-7" long so they leave a little tail that hangs out of the roll.

Remove the shell and the tail from the shrimp and devein. Slice the shrimp in half along the devein slit.

Slice the pork belly into thin strips, each about 1.5" wide

Crush your peanuts , and slice thai peppers (if using)

Into a bowl combine the following ingredients:

Slowly add the stock or warm water and whisk to combine. I usually use about 1/2 a cup.

Garnish with:

Dip rice paper into room temperature water either using a rice paper bowl dipper or a plate. Quickly dip the paper on all sides and transfer to a plate. The rice paper should still be stiff will continue to soften.

Assemble the roll by adding the banh hoi or vermicelli at the bottom of the rice paper. Leave about 1-1.5" of space on the sides of the rice paper for folding. On top of the noodles, add the lettuce, cucumber, and leafy herbs (but not the chives yet). Use the noodle as your guide and try not to overhang the noodle when adding the toppings. (This stacking order is the method that works for me, but experiment and do what works for you!

Next, place the pork slightly above the noodles, and the shrimp above the pork. Use the noodles as your guide and maintain the same width.)

Fold the right side of the rice paper in, and then the left. If you are using chives, you can lay it now over the pork.

Carefully lift the edge of the rice paper closest to you and start rolling. As you lift the rice paper, try to roll tightly while also guiding the sides of the rice paper into the roll. Continue rolling past the pork and shrimp until fully sealed.

Enjoy!

If you are new to rice paper rolling, this just take a little practice! Even if it becomes a sticky mess, it still tastes good with peanut sauce :)