Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)

Estimated Servings: 30 rolls

Step 1: Cook Pork & Shrimp

½ pound pork shoulder

½ pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

Turn your stove on high heat to bring the water to a boil and add in the salt. When the water comes to a boil, add in the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium and allow the shrimp to simmer in the water for about 2-3 minutes or until pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the water and set it aside to cool. Using the same water you cooked your shrimp, turn the heat on high, and add the pork. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat down to medium low, and poach the pork for about 18-20 minutes or until it is cooked all the way through. While the pork is cooking, slice the shrimp in half, lengthwise and set it aside. Once the pork is cooked all the way through, allow it to cool, slice it up and set it aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Noodles

1 package vermicelli noodles

8 cups water

Turn the stove on medium high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook them according to the directions on the package. Finally, rinse and drain the noodles and then set them aside.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Chili garlic sauce

Crushed roasted peanuts

Turn the stove on medium heat and add in the oil and garlic into a small pot. Stir the garlic around in the pot until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Then pour in the water, sugar, Hoisin sauce and peanut butter, stirring everything around on low heat until smooth and shiny. Finally, turn off the heat, pour the sauce into a serving bowl and garnish with roasted crushed peanuts and chili garlic sauce on top.

Step 4: Roll the rolls

5 cups warm water

Rice paper

Green lettuce

Sliced cucumbers

Mint

Cilantro

Garlic chives

Dip the rice paper in warm water, shake off all the excess, and place it on a flat surface.  Now put vegetables, noodles, and herbs on one row in the center of the rice paper; the pork slices on the second row; and 3-4 shrimp halves on the third row (make sure the pink side of the shrimp is face down on the rice paper). Roll the rolls up tightly, folding in the 2 ends and before you get to the end, add in one strand of garlic chive and seal it tight. Repeat this process until you completed rolling all the spring rolls. Serve the spring rolls with the dipping sauce that you made earlier.