Attending a friend's wedding in Dong Chau commune, Hung Yen province (formerly Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province) for the first time, Minh Thuy (Hanoi) was surprised by the lavish feast, in which one-third of the menu consisted of traditional local sausage dishes.
“The wedding feast that day had four types of sausage. Besides the familiar ones like pork sausage, stir-fried sausage, and raw sausage, there was another type of sausage that I had never heard of before. It was offal sausage,” Thuy recounted.
According to the young woman's perception, this dish looks similar to Vietnamese pork sausage at first glance, but inside it contains a golden fried egg and many other ingredients made from pig offal such as intestines, tripe, liver, etc.
She commented that the pork sausage with offal was not only impressive in appearance but also appealing because of its rich, fatty texture that wasn't greasy and its distinctive aroma.
"This is my first time trying it, but I quite like the flavor of this traditional Vietnamese pork sausage. I was thinking of finding some to buy as a gift, but this type of sausage is usually made and consumed within families and isn't widely sold in restaurants or traditional markets."
"Moreover, because the sausage is handmade and doesn't use preservatives, it's usually consumed within the day, making it difficult for customers from far away to buy," Thuy shared.
According to Mr. Bui Van Sang (28 years old, from Dong Tien Hai commune, Hung Yen province), pork offal sausage is also found in some northern localities such as Phu Tho (formerly Hoa Binh province ), Thai Nguyen... but it is most popular in Hung Yen (formerly Thai Binh province).
"Pork offal sausage is a traditional dish in some localities of the former Tien Hai district such as Dong Lam, Dong Co..."
However, not everyone knows about this type of sausage because it is mainly prepared and consumed according to the needs and preferences of each family, and does not represent the cuisine of any specific region or province," Sang emphasized.
According to this young man's years of experience making pork sausage, the ingredients must be carefully selected to ensure high quality.
For this dish, you should choose pork from the hindquarters and shoulder fat, taken immediately after slaughter while the meat is still warm. Then, remove the skin and grind it finely, seasoning it with a few spices such as fish sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, and pepper.
When grinding meat, people often place a few ice cubes outside the grinder to maintain a stable temperature and prevent the meat from cooking due to the heat radiating from the grinder.
Regarding the offal, the ingredients may vary slightly depending on the region and household. Some households only use sausage and liver, while others use a wider variety, adding intestines, stomach, tripe, etc., depending on preference.
"These ingredients will be chopped into small pieces, then mixed thoroughly with the freshly ground pork paste," Sang said.
The process of making and molding pork sausage (giò lòng). Source: Bui Van Sang/Tiktok@sangbeer3
Unlike traditional Vietnamese sausages, the pork sausage with offal in Hung Yen is wrapped in a thin layer of golden-yellow fried egg, making it even more appealing.
In addition, banana leaves are an indispensable ingredient when wrapping pork sausage. The banana leaves are briefly heated over a fire to make them pliable and durable, preventing them from tearing during wrapping and giving the finished sausage a more fragrant aroma.
"People can wrap pork offal sausage by hand or using a mold. If wrapping by hand, the offal is usually left whole in large pieces or cut into chunks. They will use banana leaves as a base, then layer fried eggs, minced pork, and offal on top, then roll it tightly and tie it securely with string."
"But if using a mold, people will cut the offal into small pieces to make it easier to mix and convenient to pour the sausage into the mold. The mold is lined with banana leaves and scrambled eggs, then the mixed sausage is added, pressed firmly, and the lid is closed," Sang shared the method of wrapping sausage with offal.
The young chef also said that the pork sausage is boiled in plenty of cold water. From the moment the water boils until it's taken out, it takes about 45 minutes to ensure the sausage is cooked through.
With handmade pork sausage, after boiling, people usually press it to drain excess water and give it a firmer texture, making it tastier.
According to local people, pork offal sausage tastes best when eaten hot and should only be stored for one day; it shouldn't be kept until the next day.
This dish can be eaten as is or combined with a few herbs and raw vegetables. In some households, people often eat pork offal with cassava leaves to balance the flavors.
A good quality pork sausage should, when sliced, form a single, solid piece with a delicious, rich, and unique flavor. If refrigerated, steaming the sausage before eating will enhance its taste.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mon-la-trong-mam-co-hung-yen-khong-phai-ai-cung-biet-khach-them-cung-kho-mua-2472124.html
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