Multipurpose Meat Paste
A cornerstone of Vietnamese cooking, this smooth meat paste is the most important recipe in the charcuterie repertoire and forms the base of three sausages in this chapter. It is also used to make meatballs (page 86), acts as the binder for Stuffed Snails Steamed with Lemongrass (page 42), and may be shaped into dumplings similar to French quenelles and poached in a quick canh-style soup (page 61). This recipe, which calls for chicken rather than the traditional pork, is my mother’s modern American approach to gio. Chicken, a luxury meat in Vietnam that is affordable here, is easier to work with and yields a particularly delicately flavored and textured paste. Additionally, chicken breasts and thighs are readily available at supermarkets, while pork leg, the cut typically used, isn’t. A recipe for the pork paste appears in the Note that follows.
To make a pork version of the paste, use 2 pounds well-trimmed boneless pork leg (fresh ham). Look for a boneless, skinless pork leg roast at a Chinese or Vietnamese market. The slightly domed, oval cut is usually near other lean cuts, such as pork loin. Buy about 2 1/3 pounds because there is always some waste. If that cut isn’t available, buy a piece of pork leg (about 2 3/4 pounds) and remove the fat and skin yourself. Make sure that you remove any pearlescent silver skin or gristle from either cut and then slice it across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips (like you would for a stir-fry). Marinate the pork in a mixture of 1 tablespoon baking powder, 3 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 5 tablespoons each fish sauce, canola or other neutral oil, and water. Process and store as directed for the chicken version. Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.
Whether you have made the chicken or the pork paste, use a powerful spray from your kitchen faucet to rinse the paste off your equipment. The paste sticks and attacking it with a sponge can be messy.
