Coarsely grind the beef and pork (don’t over-process). Use tenderloin for the beef to keep it soft, and pork shoulder with some fat to prevent dryness when grilling. Marinate the meat with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass, and 1/3 tablespoon five-spice powder. Remove any torn or very small betel leaves, chop them, and mix into the meat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Don’t overseason, since you’ll be dipping in sauce later.

Start wrapping the meat with cleaned, dried betel leaves. Fold in the sides, add a portion of meat, and roll up. Roll them flat so they’re easier to wrap with rice paper later.

Finish rolling all the beef in betel leaves.

Grill the beef rolls over charcoal for the best flavor. If you don’t have time or equipment, you can pan-sear them. Don’t overcook or the meat will dry out—just cook until done for the best texture.

For the pickled veggies, use daikon and carrot. Wash, julienne, toss with a little salt and vinegar, let sit for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid.

To keep the pickles tangy and not too sweet, don’t add sugar. Toss again with a little salt and about 4 tablespoons vinegar, then gently squeeze—don’t make them too dry or too wet.

Wash all the fresh herbs and soak in lightly salted water. Cut scallion stalks into 4–6 inch (10–15 cm) pieces. Slice pineapple, starfruit, and green banana into long, thin strips.

Reserve 1/4 of the pineapple, dice it, and use it to make the dipping sauce. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan, sauté garlic until fragrant, then add pineapple and cook until soft. Mix 6 tablespoons fermented anchovy sauce (mắm nêm) with 3 tablespoons warm water, dissolve, then add to the pan with pineapple. Add chopped fresh chili, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 2 tablespoons sugar, stir well, turn off the heat, and let cool. Adjust to taste—add more sugar for sweetness or more chili for heat as you like. My family prefers it less sweet and mildly spicy, so this is just right for us.

To serve: Take a rice paper wrapper, add fresh herbs, a bit of pickled daikon and carrot, some fresh scallion, sweet pineapple, a little rice vermicelli, and a fragrant, tender beef roll. Dip in the special mắm nêm sauce and enjoy! Truly delicious—let’s dig in!