Vietnamese Fermented Sour Meat (Beef) | Nem Chua Bò

Name: Vietnamese Fermented Sour Meat (Beef) | Nem Chua Bò
Total time: 2700 s
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs Ground beef (96% + lean); 4 Tbs Sugar; 2 Tbs Fish sauce; 18-20 cloves garlic (minced); 6-8 Red Thai chili (minced); 1.5 Tbs Whole Black Peppercorn (Toasted); 1.5 Tbs Whole White Peppercorn (Toasted); 2 pk Nam Powder Seasoning mix; 2 pk Cooked sliced Pork Skin (Bì) (2x 7 oz); 1 pk Toasted rice powder (thính) (use as needed); Sliced garlic; Sliced red Thai chili; leaves Vietnamese Coriander

Quoc Nguyen | Chef Q @chefqstr

Katy, Texas USA

This Nem Chua is more commonly known for using raw pork. But beef is also an option! In Vietnam, we uses pork because it is cheap and is more profitable. Beef nem Chua is usually a bit deeper in color compared to pork version. Both taste similar. I prefer beef since I know it’s a bit safer to eat raw than pork. This takes about 45 minutes to put it all together not including the 2 he wait time for beef to become semi frozen. The waiting time is overnight for it to ferment.

Quoc Nguyen | Chef Q @chefqstr

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Ingredients

45 minutes

6 people

2 lbsGround beef (96% + lean)
4 TbsSugar
2 TbsFish sauce
18-20 clovesgarlic (minced)
6-8Red Thai chili (minced)
1.5 TbsWhole Black Peppercorn (Toasted)
1.5 TbsWhole White Peppercorn (Toasted)
2 pkNam Powder Seasoning mix
2 pkCooked sliced Pork Skin (Bì) (2x 7 oz)
1 pkToasted rice powder (thính) (use as needed)
Others
Sliced garlic
Sliced red Thai chili
leavesVietnamese Coriander

Saved

Steps

45 minutes

1

Combine ground beef with sugar & fish sauce. Mix evenly then add and spread evenly in large ziplock bag. Put in freezer for 2 hrs.
2

While waiting for beef to semi freeze: Wash cooked shredded pork skin with salt & vinegar. Rinse clean with luke warm water. Let strain dry.
3

In the mean time. Mince garlic & chili. Toast black and white peppercorn.
4

Once pork skin dries, use a scissors to coarsely chop up the pork skin strips. Mix in a bit of toasted rice powder (a bit at a time) to loosen up the pork skin strips so it doesn’t lump. Once skin is loose and no lumping, it’s good to go.
5

After 2 hr in freezer, take seasoned ground beef out. If you have a mixer use it. If not, I used a blender to soften the semi freezer beef, before adding in minced garlic and chili, shredded pork skin, & toasted peppercorn. Combine evenly.
6

Add in 2 packs of Nam powder seasoning. There should be 2 packets of salt in these seasoning packs. Use only 1of those packets of salt, since we already added a bit of fish sauce to the mix earlier. Combine evenly. It should become a bit sticky.
7

Add a layer of plastic wrap on baking tray. Scoop in mixed nem Chua meat. Spread evenly, then cover with more plastic wrap. Prevent as much air as possible. Cover and let stand in dark corner at room temperature for 24 hrs.
8

After 24 hrs divide and prep as needed. Enjoy!