Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours
Chả lụa, also called giò lụa, is the famous Vietnamese mortadella made from pork and wrapped in banana leaves. Like bánh chưng, it is a staple during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet). During the rest of the year, it is found in many dishes, such as bánh cuốn, bánh mì and xôi.
INGREDIENTS FOR 1 SAUSAGE
- 500g pork*
- 1 clove of garlic
- 15g cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 50ml ice water
- 4 banana leaves
- Oil
Tools:
- Blender
- Plastic film
- Food strings
- Steamer
PREPARATION
Cut the meat into pieces and peel the garlic clove. Put everything in a blender and blend for about 2 minutes, until the pork is very finely chopped.
In a bowl, combine the ice water, fish sauce, salt, sugar, ground pepper, cornstarch and baking powder. Pour this liquid mixture into the blender with the minced meat, then blend for two more minutes. The minced meat then becomes very sticky and pasty.
Cut two 40-cm-long pieces of plastic film. Cross them on your work surface. Coat the surface of the plastic film with oil to prevent the meat from sticking to it.
Pour the minced meat over the plastic film, then wrap it in a roll shape. Seal the two ends of the film by twisting them. Roll the wrapped meat on the work surface to give it the shape of a large sausage. Put it in a container and let it sit in the freezer for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, thaw the banana leaves and wash them before wiping them dry. Superimpose them on your work surface and oil the surface of the leaf that will be in contact with the meat. After 2 hours, take the meat out of the freezer and place it on the banana leaves. Wrap it tightly like a gift, and secure it with a food string. Wrap everything in plastic film, tighten the roll and tie it up with food strings.
Cook the cha lua in the steamer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the sausage cool gently in the pot, still covered, for 2 hours.
All you have to do now is to taste it! You can cut the cha lua in slices or sticks before serving it.
Enjoy your meal!
*Suggestion
You can replace the pork with beef.
Are you in a rush?
Then save time by using our ready-to-eat cha lua and gio lua!