Vietnamese Grilled Pork Spring Rolls (Nem Nuong Cuon)

About This Recipe

Nem nuong cuon combines two Vietnamese classics: grilled lemongrass pork skewers and fresh, uncooked rice paper rolls. The smoky, charred pork wraps up with rice noodles, lettuce, and fresh herbs inside a soft rice paper sheet, dipped in a rich hoisin-peanut sauce. Rolling technique matters here — the rice paper needs just a quick dip in warm water since it continues to soften as you work, and rolling tightly from one side keeps the filling secure without tearing the delicate wrapper.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gground pork
• 2 stalkslemongrass(finely minced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tbspsugar
• 16rice paper wrappers
• 150 grice vermicelli(cooked)
• 1 headlettuce(leaves separated)
• 1 cupfresh mint, cilantro, and perilla
• 0.5cucumber(julienned)
• 0.5 cuphoisin sauce
• 2 tbsppeanut butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pork mixture

   Combine ground pork, lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar. Mix well and let marinate 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Shape and grill

   Shape the pork into small patties or onto skewers. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat, 4-5 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.

3. 3

   Make the dipping sauce

   Whisk hoisin sauce and peanut butter together, thinning with a little warm water to a dippable consistency.

4. 4

   Prepare the wrapping station

   Arrange rice paper, warm water for dipping, noodles, lettuce, herbs, cucumber, and grilled pork within reach.

5. 5

   Wrap the rolls

   Dip a rice paper sheet in warm water for 2-3 seconds, lay flat, and layer lettuce, noodles, pork, herbs, and cucumber near one edge.

   Don't oversoak the rice paper — it continues to soften as you assemble the roll.

6. 6

   Roll tightly

   Fold the sides in, then roll tightly from the filled edge to seal. Serve immediately with the peanut-hoisin dipping sauce.

Variations

• •

  Add shrimp alongside the pork for a mixed-protein version.

• •

  Use a nuoc cham dipping sauce instead of peanut-hoisin for a lighter, tangier option.

• •

  Make vegetarian rolls using marinated tofu instead of pork.

Storage

Best eaten fresh within a few hours of rolling; rice paper toughens and the texture suffers if refrigerated for more than a day.

Frequently Asked Questions