Mam Chung (Vietnamese Meatloaf)

Mam chung is a staple dish in my household, but by a different name. My mom refers to it as "Trinh's favorite dish," because as the name suggests, it is my favorite dish of all time. I would eat it every day for weeks if they let me. One time, my mom made a very big batch and I would eat it day after day to the point where she was afraid for my health. So she gave it away to my sisters just to ensure it would be out of sight and out of touch for me.

Considering the fact that it is my favorite dish, I barely ever make it. That's the beauty of having a mom and older sisters who like to cook for you. :) Let's cut to the chase, below is the recipe and the pictures from tonight's (yes, tonight's) dinner.

Ingredients:

- 2.5 lbs of ground pork

- 1 jar of "mam loc xay" (snakehead fish sauce- pictured below)

- 1 tsp of sugar

- 14 eggs

- green onions (chopped)
- usually served with: rice, cucumber, mint, and lettuce

Instructions:

1. In a big mixing bowl, add pork, 1/2 jar of the fish sauce (refrigerate the rest for next time), sugar, 14 eggs (save 3 egg yolks for the top layer), and green onion. MIX WELL.

2. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish (I used a ceramic one and a glass one - pictured below), make sure to leave about an inch on the top as the mixture will rise when cooked.

3. In a large pot, add water so it is halfway to the bowl. Bring to boil (close the lid) and reduce to low heat. Keep checking on the mixture to make sure the water is not spilling into the mixture. It will take about 25-30 minutes.

4. Use a chopstick/fork and poke holes into the mixture all the way down. If the chopstick/fork is dry, the mixture is almost ready. Use a flat spoon and smear the yolk on top of the mixture. Leave the lid off the pot and cook for another 5-10 minutes (or when the yolk looks well-done).

5. Remove and serve with rice and vegetables. (sorry, we rushed into eating and forgot to take a picture to show how it is supposed to be served, we'll do it tomorrow).

Voila!

Pad Thai

In college, I didn't have access to my mom's cooking (on a daily basis that is) so I took comfort in the nearest Asian restaurant on campus, a Thai restaurant. Ever since, I'm hooked on pad thai. I've tried making the dish exactly the way my favorite restaurant does it by combining different recipes I found online and the last attempt was probably the most successful to date. I still need to work on the sauce a little more (can't seem to get that thick peanut flavor just right) but I figured I might as well post it and let others show me what I could improve on.







Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)

• 1/2 lime
• 1 egg
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 shallot (minced)
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon tamarind paste (maybe substituted with vinegar)
• 1/2 package Thai rice noodles
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2-1/4 lb shrimp
• 1/2 cup green onion (cut into 1-in long pieces and separate the white parts from the green parts)
• 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts (optional)
• 1-1/3 cup bean sprouts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, soak the noodles in cold water for 15 min; drain. Cover noodles with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

2. De-shell and de-vein the shrimp. Set aside.

3. Heat half of the oil in a wok or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute the white parts of green onion, mince shallot and garlic until all is light golden -- about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook until pink. Stir in half of the fish sauce and sugar. Remove from wok and set aside.

4. Add in the rest of the oil into the wok. Add in the drained noodles and stir until the noodles look softened. Add in the rest of the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind or vinegar. Pour in the beaten egg, and while stirring slow to allow the egg to partially set.

5. Add the shrimp back in, along with the green parts of the onions, and mix until noodles are tender. I like the bean sprout to remain somewhat raw so I add these last. If you like them cooked, add them when you add the shrimp and onions.

6. Continue to stir-fry until noodles have flattened and blended with the sauce.

7. Transfer pad thai to serving plate. Top with the cilantro and peanuts. Serve with a wedge of lime on the side.

Optional: Peanut Sauce
Because I am that girl who always asks for extra peanut sauce at the restaurant, I tried to find ways to make this sauce on the side so I can add as much as I like to. Here's how I made it last time.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• a pinch of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Stir until garlic is golden. Add in the hoisin sauce and stir well for 3 minutes.

2. Add in peanut butter and mix well over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add water and sugar to desired thickness and taste. Keep heat on slow and stir well for another 3 minutes.

4. Serve as extra for pad thai.

Bo La Lot

Translated as: "Ground Beef Wrapped in Betel Leaves"

All beef entrees are, by far, the most luxurious in Vietnamese cuisine. When we lived in Vietnam, it is a big treat when we have beef for dinner. Because it is such a luxury, we don't get to have it often and when we do, we go all out! And by going all out, I mean, when we have beef, we have seven courses of beef, or "bo bay mon" in Vietnamese! Today, I'm introducing the first of the seven beef courses, bo la lot, literally translated as ground beef wrapped in betel leaves. You can find betel leaves in most Asian grocery stores. If not, you can always substitute with grape leaves. This entree can be served with noodles, or bun, but is more commonly served as an appetizer with two types of fish dipping sauce: mam nem or nuoc mam cham. Separate recipes for those will be posted soon!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
(for approximately 15 rolls)

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 2 tablespoon of chopped lemon grass
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground buoillon salt (Knorr)
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 package of fresh betel leaves
• 4 tablespoons of scallion oil (heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil, remove from heat and add finely chopped scallions)
• kabob sticks (as needed)
• dipping sauce (mam nem or nuoc mam cham)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine meat with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, curry, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, Knorr, and salt. Mix well and set aside in fridge while the leaves are being prepared.

2. Detach the leaves from their stems. Rinse well and set aside to drain.

3. Place the leaves with the glossy side up. Place approximately 1 tablespoon full of meat near the base of the leave (depending on the size of the leave) and roll accordingly.

4. Insert a kabob stick through the roll. Make sure to push the stick through at the apex of the roll to hold the roll together.


5. Grill the rolls using a skewer or a grilling basket for about 6-8 minutes. As soon as the rolls are placed on the skillet, add droplets of the shallot on top of the rolls to make sure the meat aren't dried up while being grilled. Remember to turn a few times to prevent the leaves from burning.

My thoughts: Bo la lot was, indeed, delicious! Definitely a big success for this amateur chef! It is best to serve the rolls right off the grill though, because, the meat dried up as it cools down. I had some leftover the next day but ended up throwing them out because they were too dry.