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1. What is Khau Nhuc?

2. Instructions on how to make Khau Nhuc Lang Son

3. Important notes when making Khau Nhuc

Khau Nhuc is a familiar dish on the tray of Lang Son people, featuring soft, fatty, fragrant pork belly and rich sauce. Although the ingredients are not sophisticated, the skillful preparation has created an unforgettable delicious dish. If you want to try cooking this typical dish at home, please refer to the recipe below!

How to make Khau Nhuc Lang Son rich, delicious and unforgettable

1. What is Khau Nhuc?
Khau Nhuc, also known as "nam khau", is a name originating from Chinese and is Vietnamized in pronunciation. In which, "khau" means soft, and "nhuc" is meat - mainly pork. Simply put, this is a meat dish prepared by steaming for a long time until the meat becomes tender, rich, and almost melts in your mouth.

Khau nhuc is a traditional dish associated with the lives of people in the northern border region, especially popular in Lang Son. This dish often appears on important occasions such as holidays, Tet, weddings or when distinguished guests visit the house.

Introducing Khau nhuc - a famous specialty of Lang

Like braised pork in the lowlands, Khau nhuc is prepared quite elaborately, requiring the combination of many types of ingredients and typical spices, along with a long steaming time to achieve a special softness and flavor.

2. Instructions on how to make Khau nhuc Lang Son
2.1. Prepare ingredients for making Lang Son's Khau Nhuc
      2kg pork belly
     2kg minced lean pork rump
     5 fresh ginger roots
     4 cans of beer
    500g fresh mac mat leaves
    500g dried roasted mac mat fruit
    3 taro roots
    1kg wood ear mushrooms
    1kg dried shiitake mushrooms
    5 dried onions
    500g stinky tofu
    Spices: Salt, pepper,....

Ingredients to prepare for Lang Son's Khau Nhuc

2.2. Tips for choosing ingredients for Lang Son's Khau Nhuc
Choosing pork belly

When choosing delicious pork belly, pay attention to the following characteristics:

• The skin needs to be thick, the surface of the meat is smooth, not dry or scratched.
• You should choose meat with a balanced layer of fat and lean meat. The surface of the meat is alternating between fat and lean meat, not too much fat to avoid being bored.
• Fresh meat: Has a light pink color, clear white fat, no unusual smell.

Tips for choosing fresh pork belly to make khau nhuc

Buy dry ingredients

Ingredients such as mac mat leaves, mac mat fruit, stinky tofu,... can be easily found on e-commerce platforms.

Tips for buying dry ingredients to prepare to make khau nhuc Lang Son easily

2.3. How to make Lang Son specialty khau nhuc
Step 1: Prepare ingredients

Prepare pork

First, wash the pork belly and cut into pieces as big as the palm of your hand, about 10 - 15cm thick.
Next, wash the wood ear and dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water until soft, then mince and stir-fry in a pan. Crush the stinky tofu and mac mat fruit, cut the taro into thin strips.
Note: Using ginger water will remove the fishy smell of pork, making the dish more delicious and characteristic.

Prepare taro

Peel the taro, cut into finger-sized pieces and fry them in oil until golden brown, let cool.
Next, stir the minced pork with the mushroom and wood ear mixture, add pepper and salt, then shape into small balls the size of a child's fist. Cover the meatballs with plastic wrap.
Grind the ginger and mix with the beer.

Prepare the pork, taro and other ingredients to make the meatballs

Step 2: Prepare the pork

• Boil the sliced ​​pork belly for about 20 minutes (remember to keep this water), then pierce the pork skin evenly with a skewer (the more evenly you pierce the meat, the more delicious and beautiful it will be).
• Next, rub a thin layer of salt on the pierced skin before dropping it into the ginger water.
• Use a ladle to pour the ginger water on the skin and soak it for about 10 minutes, then remove it and drain it.
• Then, put the pan of oil on the stove, put the drained meat in and fry it over high heat. When the meat turns a cockroach-brown color, remove it and put it back into the pot of boiling water. When the meat has cooled down, take it out, drain it and cut it into pieces about 1cm thick (cut the skin).

Note: Soaking the meat in boiling water will help the meat to be both soft and absorb more boiling water, making it extremely sweet and fragrant.

Steps to boil, soak and fry pork belly to make khau nhuc

Step 3: Steaming

• Place 2-3 leaves of the hook mat at the bottom of the bowl, arrange 6 pieces of fried meat in it and cover the ground pork mixture so that it covers the bowl, pressing it a little bit tightly.
• Next, sprinkle 3-4 pieces of taro cut into strips and crushed mac mat seeds on top. Then, cover with a thin layer of crushed stinky tofu and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Finally, place the khau nhuc bowl in a steamer, steam over low heat for 3-4 hours. That's it.

Note: Do not open the lid often while steaming. This will help the meat to be soft and retain moderate moisture.

Instructions for steaming Lang Son's standard Khau Nhuoc

Step 4: Finished product

After steaming, the Khau Nhuoc bowl will have a beautiful cockroach brown color and emit an attractive aroma. Remove it immediately from the steamer to enjoy it hot.

Finished product of Lang Son Khau Nhuoc - A delicious dish with the standard flavor of the mountains and forests

Presentation and enjoyment

• Khau Nhuoc is usually displayed in a bowl or deep plate to retain the rich flavor of the sauce.
• Khau Nhuoc is arranged so that the skin is turned
• on top, creating an eye-catching golden layer.
• Raw vegetables such as lettuce, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers... are arranged on a separate plate, creating a fresh feeling and balancing the flavor.
• To make the decoration more eye-catching, you can add a little green onion or sliced ​​chili.

Lang Son Khau nhuc eaten with raw vegetables, blending richly and refreshingly

Note: The remaining bowls of meat can be sealed and stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week. When using, just reheat.

3. Necessary notes when making Khau nhuc

• Choose a piece of pork belly with an even ratio of lean meat - fat - skin to avoid getting bored.
• Process the meat with ginger and white wine to remove the smell. Use a sharp toothpick or fork to poke the skin evenly before frying to make the skin crispy.
• Marinate the meat long enough for the spices to fully penetrate the meat.
• Simmer the meat over low heat to soften the meat and absorb the spices evenly. Cook until the sauce thickens and the meat is tender.

Choose a piece of pork belly with a balanced amount of lean meat, fat and skin to avoid being greasy

A hot dish of khau nhuc with tender meat, rich in the flavor of mac mat, and fragrant with taro is one of the unforgettable flavors of Lang Son cuisine. If you have not had the opportunity to visit this land, you can still bring the essence of the mountains and forests to your small kitchen through a simple but authentic recipe. Come into the kitchen and feel the intricacy and richness of this famous dish today!