SEATTLE —
Banh Chung
(Makes 3 Rice Cakes)
Ingredients:
- 2 packages bamboo leaves
- 3 cups long-grain or short sticky rice
- 1 ½ tablespoon sea salt
- Cold water
- 1 cup mung bean
- 1 ½ pounds pork belly
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1tablespoon pandan extract
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons shallots, sliced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 square Banh Chung mold (12cmx12cm)
Night Before Procedure:
- Soak the bamboo leaves in a big mixing bowl under water. Note: Bamboo leaves need to be cut precisely for folding: 12 (30cm x 12cm), 6 (30cm x 12cm), 12 (15cm x 5cm), and 6 (12cm x 12cm)
- Cut the pork belly into 2 x 4-inch pieces. Each piece should have some fat and skin. Add to a mixing bowl with fish sauce, pepper, sugar, and I tablespoon salt. Allow to marinate overnight.
- In another mixing bowl, soak mung beans in cold water overnight.
- In another mixing bowl, soak sticky rice with ½ tablespoon salt and pandan extract.
Next Morning Procedure:
- Fill a Chinese steamer with water and bring it to a boil. Drain the mung beans in a colander and set it aside. Drain the rice in a colander. Drain the bamboo leaves, rinse, and set aside.
- Add the shallots to a small sauté pan with oil and stir until shallot are golden brown.
To Assemble the Cakes:
- Use a Banh Chung mold to make each cake with the cut bamboo leaves. Line the 4(30cm x 12cm) bamboo leaves with the shiny part facing out. Then line 2 of (30cm x 12 cm) on the inside one on top of another. Line 4 (15cm x 5cm) on the corner of the mold to prevent it from leaking while boiling. Uses 1(12cm x 12cm) to cover the top and bottom of the cake.
- Layer the ingredients in the mold: ½ cup of rice, 2 tablespoons mung beans, 1 piece pork belly, 1 tablespoon fried shallot, 2 tablespoons mung bean and ½ cup rice to top it off. Make sure the mung beans and the pork belly are evenly coated with the sticky rice. Fold the bamboo leaves and tuck the last leaf in to close the fold. Use cooking grade twine to tie the cake together.
- Repeat the same process for the remaining 2 cakes.
- Fill a 20-quart stockpot half full of water. Place a bowl in the pot, then stack the cakes one on top of another. Cover the cakes in water. To keep the cakes from floating, place a heavy plate or bowl over them. Bring the water to a boil then turn down to simmer. To keep the simmer consistent, add boiling water as needed, and make sure the cakes are covered in water.
- Boil the cakes for 7 hours and then transfer to an ice bath to cool. Keep on a sheet pan until needed.
Pro Tip: Use an Instant Pot at the meat stew/high pressure setting for 40 minutes and then flip the cakes and repeat for another 40 minutes.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.