Chả Lụa (or Giò Lụa) is a popular Vietnamese sausage made from pork paste. It is wrapped in banana leaves, formed into a sizable roll, and then steamed or boiled until fully cooked.
Making Chả Lụa at home is simpler than you might think. I made it using just a small food processor. It’s also much cheaper and contains far fewer fillers than the ones in Asian markets.
What is Chả Lụa?
In Vietnamese, “Giò Chả” refers to Vietnamese-style sausages. The term “Lụa” means silk, emphasizing the smooth texture of the sausage. In the South, this sausage is called Chả Lụa, while in the North, it is known as Giò Lụa or simply Giò.
Chả Lụa is a popular processed meat in Vietnamese cuisine. Chả Lụa, along with Vietnamese liver pâté, Vietnamese mayo, and Đồ Chua (pickled carrots & daikon), are must-haves in a Saigon-style Banh Mi sandwich.
Other kinds of “Giò Chả” (sausages) in Vietnamese cuisine
Chả Chiên/Chả Mỡ: the fried roll is made from a blend of lean pork and a decent amount of pork fat so it has a softer texture than Chả Lụa.
Chả Quế: Cinnamon pork sausage.
Chả Cốm: pork patties with young green rice. You often find it in Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm.
Chả Cá: Vietnamese fish cake. It’s not the same as Chả Cá in Chả Cá Lã Vọng (Hanoi turmeric fish with dill).
Giò Sống: Vietnamese pork paste, the uncooked Chả Lụa. It can be used to cook many soups like súp nui sườn (macaroni soup), canh bí đỏ (pumpkin soup), canh khổ qua (bittermelon soup).
Nem Nướng (grilled pork sausage skewers), Chạo Tôm (sugar cane shrimp), and Bò Viên (beef meatballs for Phở) also share a similar texture and cooking method.
Ingredients
- Pork & Chicken Breast: While you can use ground pork or pork butt, I recommend using pork loin if you want your Chả Lụa to have a lighter white color, similar to the store-bought one. Incorporating some chicken breast or chicken tenders can further enhance the color and texture—a tip I learned from a Hanoi housewife.
- Fish sauce: for authentic Chả Lụa flavor. Use high-quality fish sauce.
- Starch: cornstarch, tapioca starch, or potato starch. I find potato starch yields the best results.
- Baking powder: We need single-acting baking powder. European baking powders are single-acting, so if you live in the U.S., you could use baking powder from European brands like Dr. Oetker (Germany) or Alsa (France).
- Sugar: The Southern version tends to have slightly more sugar than the Northern style. My recipe leans toward the Southern flavor.
- Cooking oil: Lard or pork fat is ideal but cooking oil works fine as well. Chả Lụa in Vietnam always contains a generous amount of fat.
- Garlic powder or onion powder: Adds aroma to the sausage. Fresh garlic and shallots work fine.
- Peppercorns: I enjoy a spicy kick, so I add plenty of peppercorns to my Chả Lụa, but adjust according to your taste.
- Chicken powder: Enhances the flavor of the dish.
- Water: essential for achieving the soft and bouncy texture of Chả Lụa. If your Chả Lụa turns out dry and lacks silkiness, it probably needs more water.
- Banana leaves & aluminum foil: for wrapping.
Instructions
Marinate the meat
- Slice the pork and chicken into thin strips. If you’re using a stand mixer to beat the meat, you’ll need to grind the meat in this step.
- Combine the pork and chicken with all the other ingredients (except for the peppercorns).
- Transfer the mixture into a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Use your hands to evenly spread the mixture in the bag to create a layer that’s about 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick.
- Place the bag in the freezer for 3-4 hours until it’s partially frozen. If you don’t have time to make Chả Lụa within a day, just leave it in the freezer. When cooking, let it sit at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours until it thaws to the partially frozen state.
- Before grinding the meat, use scissors or a knife to cut the meat mixture into smaller pieces.
What is the partially-frozen state?
It happens when your meat mixture remains very cold, potentially with slight thawing on the surface. This makes it easy to break the cold patty by hand or cut it into smaller pieces using scissors. The texture looks quite similar to sorbet or shaved ice in Korean bingsu.
With a food processor
This method is designed for a small batch (0.4-0.7 pounds or 200-300 grams, based on my 800W food processor). If you intend to make a larger amount of Chả Lụa, you may want to divide it into 2 or 3 smaller batches.
- Pulse the meat mixture at the lowest power setting. After 2-3 pulses, scrape down the sides of the bowl and push any remaining meat into the blades.
- After pulsing about 10 times, you can increase the speed to high for 7-10 seconds. Remember to stir the meat sometimes and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the peppercorns if you like.
- The paste is ready when it achieves a smooth, paler, and fluffy texture. When using a spoon to scoop the paste, it should adhere to the spoon.
- Transfer this pork paste to a bowl and proceed with the second batch until all the meat is processed.
- Return all of the pork paste to the ziploc bag. Pound the pork paste by dropping the bag onto the stovetop around 50 times. This step helps give your Chả Lụa a springier texture.
- Or you can use a hand mixer with dough hooks to beat the mixture for one minute. Work with only 0.4-0.7 pounds or 200-300 grams at a time.
With a stand mixer
With this method, you could make a larger batch of Chả Lụa (1.1 pounds or 500 grams). You’ll need the flat beater attachment for your stand mixer.
If you work with a stand mixer, be sure to use ground pork (store-bought or make your own).
- Pound the meat mixture on the lowest setting for 2 minutes.
- Ramp up the speed to medium and continue pounding for 3-5 minutes.
- Lastly, switch to the highest setting and pound for another 3-5 minutes. Add peppercorns to the mixture at this stage.
- The paste is ready when it looks smooth, paler, and fluffy. When scooping the pork paste with a spoon, it should adhere to the spoon.
Shape & Wrap
- Thaw the banana leaves, then wash, rinse, and pat them dry.
- On a piece of aluminum foil, place a banana leaf (ensure the aluminum foil is double the size of the banana leaf). Put the pork paste in the center of the leaf.
- Dampen your hands with water and shape the pork paste into a log, ensuring to remove any air pockets.
- Cover the log with another banana leaf and fold the sides inwards to enclose the roll.
- Wrap the pork roll securely with aluminum foil to maintain its shape.
Steam
Because I wrap the Vietnamese sausage with aluminum foil, I will steam it to cook (boiling may cause water to leak into the pork roll).
- Put the pork roll in a steamer and steam it for 45-50 minutes.
- Allow it to cool completely. You can store it in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Some tips for a foolproof result
- Use fresh, newly-producted meat. The quality of the meat is paramount for making Chả Lụa. Opt for meat with the longest expiry date.
- Keep your meat cold at all times. The meat will experience a process called protein extraction to achieve a bouncy, springy texture. This process happens most effectively at temperatures between 39°F to 44°F (or 4°C to 7°C).
- If you have a meat thermometer, use it to check the temperature. If the temperature of the pork paste exceeds 41°F (5°C), stop working and refrigerate the bowl with the meat for 20-30 minutes.
- Avoid overloading your food processor (or stand mixer). For a small food processor, I recommend using 0.4-0.7 pounds (200-300g) of meat, and for a stand mixer, aim for 1.1 pounds (500g) of meat.
- Keep your work bowl cold. There should always be condensation on the outside of your work bowl. If not, stop immediately, place the bowl with the meat in the fridge for 30 minutes before continuing.
What to serve with Chả Lụa
Chả Lụa is incredibly versatile in Vietnamese cuisine. It can be enjoyed as a finger food, a quick snack, an appetizer, a side dish, a topping for main courses, or even as a standalone main dish.
FAQs
More authentic Vietnamese recipes
Chả Lụa/Giò Lụa (Vietnamese Pork Roll/Vietnamese Ham)
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor (or 1 stand mixer with the flat beater attachment)
Ingredients
- 0.9 pound pork loin (400g)
- 0.2 pound chicken breast / chicken tender (100g) (you can use pork)
- 1 tbsp Red Boat fish sauce
- 1½ tsp chicken powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp potato starch (or tapioca starch, cornstarch)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp baking powder (read my note at the end)
- 5 tbsp water
- ½ tbsp garlic powder (or onion powder)
- ½ tbsp peppercorns (to your taste)
- Banana leaves
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
Marinate the meat
- Cut the pork and chicken into thin strips. If you're using a stand mixer to beat the meat, you'll have to grind it at this stage.
- Marinate the meat with all the other ingredients (except for the peppercorns).
- Put the mixture into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and spread it evenly to create a layer about 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick.
- Put this bag in the freezer and leave it for 3-4 hours until it's partially frozen. If you're unable to make it within a day, simply keep it in the freezer. When you're ready to cook, let it sit at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours until it thaws to a partially frozen state.
- Before processing the meat, cut the partially frozen mixture into smaller pieces with scissors or a knife.
With a food processor (for a small batch 0.4-0.7 pounds or 200-300 grams)
- For larger batches, divide the meat mixture into 2 or 3 portions.
- Begin by pulsing the meat mixture at the lowest power setting. After 2-3 pulses, scrape down the sides of the work bowl and push any remaining meat into the blades.
- After pulsing about 10 times, you can increase the speed to high for 7-10 seconds. Don't forget to stir the meat occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the peppercorns if you like.
- The paste is ready when it reaches a smooth, paler, and fluffy texture. When using a spoon to scoop the paste, it should stick to the spoon.
- Transfer this pork paste to a bowl and continute with the second batch until all the meat is finished.
- Return all of the pork paste to the ziploc bag. Drop the bag containing the pork paste onto the stovetop about 50 times. This step will help to give a springy texture to your Chả Lụa.Another option is to use a hand mixer with dough hooks, beating the mixture for one minute. Remember to work with only 0.4-0.7 pounds (200-300 grams) at a time.
With a stand mixer (for a larger batch 1.1 pounds or 500 grams)
- Pound the mixture with the lowest speed for 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium and continue beating for about 3-5 minutes.
- Finally, switch to the highest setting and beat for another 3-5 minutes while adding peppercorns.
- The paste is done when it looks smooth, paler, and fluffy, and sticks to the spoon when scooped.
Wrap and Roll
- Defrost the banana leaves, then wash, rinse, and pat dry them.
- Place a banana leaf on a piece of aluminum foil (twice the size of the leaf) and place the pork paste in the center.
- With damp hands, mold the pork paste into a log shape, ensuring there are no air pockets.
- Cover the log with another banana leaf, folding the sides to enclose the roll securely.
- Wrap the pork roll tightly with aluminum foil to retain its shape throughout cooking.
Steam the roll
- Place the pork roll in a steamer and steam for 45-50 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow it to cool completely. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- Use fresh meat with the longest expiry date.
- Check the meat’s temperature with a thermometer (if you have). If it exceeds 41°F (5°C), refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before proceeding.
- Avoid overloading your food processor or stand mixer.
- Keep the work bowl cold. If you don’t notice condensation forming on the outside of your work bowl, pause immediately. Place the bowl (with the meat) in the fridge for 30 minutes before working with it again.
- Baking powder: For this recipe, you’ll need single-acting baking powder. European brands such as Dr. Oetker (Germany) or Alsa (France) are good choices if you’re in the U.S.
