How to Make Authentic Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls

Today we are making coi cuon. My family goes crazy for these Vietnamese spring rolls. They're easy, delicious, and everyone enjoys rolling these together at family parties. In this video, I will show you how to perfectly place the shrimp like your favorite Vietnamese restaurant, so stick around. First, cook the pork belly in a large pot of water seasoned with salt and sugar. Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, set it aside to cool in a covered bowl. Then in the same pot, cook the deveined shrimp for about two minutes. Once the shrimp are cooked and pink, drop them in ice water after cooking to prevent them from overcooking and becoming rubbery. Next, peel the shrimp and slice them in half. This way your money goes further and you can use less shrimp, but this is optional. You can always just use the whole shrimp instead to save time. Now that the pork belly has cooled, thinly slice it. Then boil the vermicelli noodles as per the package instructions before straining and rinsing them under cold water. First, dip and soften a sheet of rice paper in warm water. Then place it onto a plate and be sure to lay it as flat as possible. Set up your spring roll station around you so everything is easily accessible. Then layer a piece of lettuce towards the bottom of the rice paper. Be sure to leave about one inch of space at the edge for when you begin to roll. Next, add the cucumber on top of the lettuce. Layer on the vermicelli noodles. Be careful to not overfill the roll or the paper will rip. Then add the herbs. My family always uses perilla leaves, Vietnamese coriander, and mint, but you can swap these based on your preferences. Next, top it off with a few slices of pork belly. To have the shrimp appear on the outside of the roll, place the shrimp with the pink side facing down just above the vegetables and pork near the center. Next, lift the rice paper on the edge closest to you and tightly roll up the filling below the shrimp. Then fold the left and right sides toward the middle. Add a garlic chive which pokes out on one side of the spring roll. Then continue to roll the spring roll until you reach the end. Lightly squeeze the completed roll to ensure that it is sealed. If your rice paper wrapper tears, you can wrap the second sheet of rice paper around it, but it will yield a more chewy texture. Serve these immediately with peanut sauce or wrap each roll individually with plastic wrap to keep the wrapper from drying out. Enjoy!