Vietnamese Crepe with Pork Belly

Step 1

For the braised pork belly: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Step 2

Add the pork belly to a small pan, then add the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Add enough water to cover the pork belly, then cover with parchment paper pressed on top of the pork belly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then cover completely with foil. Braise in the oven for 3 hours.

Step 3

Remove the pork belly and let cool. (It's easier to cut cold.) Slice and cube the pork belly to the desired thickness. Shallow-fry the pork belly in neutral oil until crispy, then set aside.

Step 4

For the banh xeo filling: Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the onions and bean sprouts and cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften. Add the shrimp, green onions and salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Set the mixture aside for filling the completed crepes.

Step 5

For the nuoc cham: Mix the sugar with 1 cup hot water until dissolved, then mix in the lime juice, fish sauce, garlic and chiles.

Step 6

For the viet crepe batter: Place the rice flour, cornstarch, salt and turmeric in a bowl and mix together. Whisk in the coconut milk and 2 cups water until completely blended. (Before each use, whisk the batter again to be sure it doesn't separate.)

Step 7

Heat a nonstick or carbon steel pan until hot. Add almost 1 ounce high-heat cooking oil. Add 4 ounces batter to the pan to just cover the bottom evenly. Let the crepe batter set and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until starting to crisp on the bottom. Turn the crepe over and continue to cook until slightly crisp. Add the onion/sprout/shrimp mix to one side, then add some pork belly. Fold the crepe over the fillings and slide out of the pan. Repeat to make more crepes. Serve with lettuce leaves, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, a side of nuoc cham and your favorite sambal for dipping.