Vietnamese Spring Rolls
(Gỏi Cuốn)

Ingredients

• 8–10 rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng)
• ½ pound shrimp
• ½ pound pork loin
• 1 cup Vietnamese thin rice noodles
• 1 head leafy lettuce, red or green
• ½ bunch each of fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, Thai basil, chives, whatever on hand)

Peanut Sauce

• 5–6 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2–3 tbsp peanut butter
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• Sambal chile to taste, optional
• Crushed peanuts to garnish

Instructions

1. Make the dipping sauce: heat a pan on medium, add garlic and oil to sauté. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil, then turn off heat. Add Sambal chile to taste and/or garnish with roasted crushed peanuts.
2. In a pot, add pork and enough water to cover about 1–2 inches above the pork. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat and cook for about 25 minutes, or until pork juices run clear. Once cooked and cooled, slice the pork as thinly as possible.
3. In a pot, add shrimp and enough water to cover. Boil on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Once cooked and cooled, remove the shells and tails, then cut the shrimp in half along the body.
4. Cook rice noodles according to package instructions, usually 5–10 minutes.
5. Rinse and dry the vegetables.
6. To wrap: add warm water to a plate and soak rice paper for 5–10 seconds, then remove. Lay the rice paper on a plate, spread ingredients evenly across, adding vegetables, pork, shrimp and noodles. Fold the left and right sides toward the middle, then fold the bottom up. Roll tightly upwards until the spring roll is formed.
7. Dip in peanut sauce and enjoy!