Forgotten Foods: Pork with Fermented Shrimp Paste (Vietnam)

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Pork with Fermented Shrimp Paste
Prepared by Thanh Nguyen
Viet Nam Farmers’ Union (VNFU)
Vietnam

This dish is an exquisite blend of succulent pork, savory shrimp paste, and an array of aromatic spices and herbs. The inclusion of fermented shrimp paste lends a distinctive umami essence, creating a complex and delightful flavor profile. The cooking process, spanning three hours, not only enhances the taste but also serves as a preservation method.

For her exceptional recipe, Thanh Nguyen sources naturally raised pork and employs traditional techniques to prepare the shrimp paste. Thanh Nguyen, a business proprietor hailing from Ninh Binh province, Vietnam, not only crafts and markets fermented shrimp paste sauce but also oversees a pork processing facility. Their shrimp paste product has been awarded a prestigious 4-star OCOP certificate, cementing its status as a quintessential product of Northern Vietnam.

Ingredients:

• Fresh pork meat and lard, ground/minced
• Ninh Binh’s traditional shrimp paste
• Shallots, sliced
• Kohlrabi, carrots, cauliflower, beans (may include other vegetables), cut into bite-size

Instructions:

Preparing the pork with shrimp paste

1. Grind/mince the pork meat and lard, slice the shallots, and cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
2. Get a pan and sauté the pork lard until the fat is rendered out and turns into lardon.
3. Add the sliced shallots and fry until it turns crispy and fragrant.
4. Add the ground pork meat and stir-fry for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the shrimp paste into 3 portions. Add each portion to the dish every 30 minutes. Stir well so that the meat absorbs the paste.
6. Cook for about 3 hours, while constantly stirring the ingredients so the pork absorbs the shrimp paste well. The cooked dish can be stored in sterilized jars or ziplock bags to be stored and consumed later.

Preparing the vegetables

1. Boil or steam the vegetables until they are well cooked.
2. Serve the vegetables with the sautéed pork with shrimp paste dish for a delicious and nutritious balanced meal.

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The “Women Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition: Forgotten Foods Cooking Contest” is organized by the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC) through the Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) – Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) and Assuring Resiliency of Family Farmers (ARISE). APFP-FO4A is supported by the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ARISE is supported by IFAD.

More info at https://asianfarmers.org/women-ensuring-food-security-and-nutrition-forgotten-foods-cooking-contest/