Vietnamese Bánh Cuốn with Pork

Step 1

Place each mushroom cap stem-side down on the cutting board and slice straight down through the cap into 1/8-inch-thick slices, like cutting bread, then roughly chop the slices into 1/4-inch pieces.

Step 2

Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.

Step 3

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 0.5 teaspoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons water until the sugar fully dissolves. Set the dipping sauce aside.

Step 4

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 5

Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and stir constantly for 20 seconds until it smells strongly fragrant—do not let it brown.

Step 6

Add the ground pork to the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon into small crumbles as it cooks, stirring every 20 seconds.

Step 7

When the pork is no longer pink (after about 4–5 minutes of cooking), add the chopped mushrooms and stir constantly.

Step 8

Cook the pork-mushroom mixture, stirring once every 30 seconds, until the mushrooms release their moisture and the mixture is dry and lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes total.

Step 9

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 1 tablespoon lime juice until evenly distributed. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 10

Fill a wide, shallow bowl with room-temperature water. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the water for 3–4 seconds until it just begins to soften (it will continue to soften as you work), then lay it flat on a clean, dry cutting board.

Step 11

Scatter 2 tablespoons of the cooled pork-mushroom filling across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving a 1-inch border on the left and right sides.

Step 12

Scatter 3–4 small mint or cilantro leaves (or a mix) on top of the filling.

Step 13

Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up and over the filling, then roll tightly away from you, folding in the left and right edges as you roll to create a small, tight cylinder about the size of a cigar.

Step 14

Place the finished roll seam-side down on a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling until you have 12 rolls (or however many servings you need).

Step 15

Arrange the rolls seam-side down on the plate, leaving a small space between each one, and serve immediately alongside the fish sauce dipping sauce.