Cha Lua (Vietnamese Pork Roll)

5 from 7 ratings

Cha Lua (Vietnamese Pork Roll)

Cha Lua or Vietnamese Ham is a key ingredient in a variety of Vietnamese dishes. It is made with lean pork loin, seasoned with garlic powder, fish sauce, and white pepper.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Cooling Time2 40

Total Time3 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: cha lua, cha lua recipe

Servings: people

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb pork loin
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp white pepper
2 ½ tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp fish sauce
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup ice water
2 banana leaves ~12 inches x 12 inches

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, grind the pork loin using a food grinder. Run it through the food grinder twice for the smoothest texture. Add the ground pork loin to a bowl.
Add ½ tsp of garlic powder, ¼ tsp of white pepper, 2 ½ tsp of granulated sugar, 1 tbsp of corn starch, 2 tbsp of fish sauce, ¼ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking powder, and ¼ cup of ice water to the bowl. Mix until well combined.
Add the ground pork mixture to a Ziploc bag and freeze for 1 ½ hours. Flatten the ground pork so it's as thin as possible. This will help the pork reach the correct temperature faster. Save the Ziploc bag for later.
Empty the ground pork into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on speed 4 for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to 6 and whip for another 5 minutes. Transfer the ground pork back into the Ziploc bag and freeze for 40 minutes. Make sure to flatten the pork mixture.
After 40 minutes, empty the ground pork into the the stand mixer bowl, and whip on speed 6 for another 10 minutes.
Now you're ready to form your pork roll. Empty the pork onto some plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to help you form your pork roll. The pork roll should be in the shape of a cylinder with a 3 inch diameter and ~7 inches long.
Grease 1 banana leaf with oil and place it on top of the second banana leaf. Unwrap the pork roll and place it in the center of the banana leaves. Roll your pork roll tightly in the banana leaves and close the ends.
Finally, roll your pork roll in aluminum foil. This will help keep your cha lua tight and prevent moisture from getting in. Tie the pork roll tightly with cooking twine.
Prep your steamer by bringing water to a simmer and adding your steamer insert. Once the water is simmering, add in your pork roll and let it steam for 32 minutes.
Remove and let it cool down for at least an hour before serving.

Notes

Grind the meat twice for the smoothest consistency. I have emphasized this a few times already, but I think it's worth mentioning again. This is definitely one of the most important parts of this recipe. Grinding up the meat into the finest, smoothest consistency is key to getting that bouncy, chewy texture that everyone loves about Cha Lua.
Make sure the meat is always very cold. This is another key part of the process because if the meat is not cold, the final product will be soggy, and the pork roll will not form correctly.
How do you eat Cha Lua? Cha Lua is an important part of Vietnamese cuisine. It is served in so many dishes. Some notable ones include Banh Mi, Bun Thang, Bun Bo Hue, Bun Rieu, and Banh Cuon. None of these dishes would taste authentic without this Vietnamese ham. For a simpler dish, I like to eat it with some rice and some nuoc cham as a dipping sauce for the Cha. It is such a versatile protein. The possibilities are endless.

Nutrition