Pak Mo Krob (Thai Vietnamese Crispy Rice Paper Wrap)
Pak Mo Krob are crispy rice paper wraps from the Thai Vietnamese community in Northeast Thailand. They are crispy, sweet and savory wraps of seasoned pork, served with a chili garlic dipping sauce.
Finding balance in flavor and texture
When we cook, we do our best to reach what some may call a "flavor balance" - so that sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors all coexist harmonically in the dish that we make.
While a certain flavor profile may be more accentuated in certain dishes, it still mustn't overpower the balance with the others.
Furthermore, we mustn't forget that food is not only about the different flavors that our taste buds perceive but also about its different textures.
There is a reason that crispy and moist Kentucky Fried Chicken is arguably more enjoyable than dry, overcooked chicken - as the crispiness of the fried batter meets the soft and juicy chicken meat.
Our bodies, through our tongues, mouths, and hands can sense the texture of the food before and during tasting it. That brings another important dimension to the experience of eating and a good reason for our pleasure in it.
Thai Vietnamese cuisine in Sakon Nakhon
Today's dish is all about balance, both in terms of flavor and texture. I can still remember the astonishment I felt when I first tried it, impressed by its sophistication and spirit of innovation and creativity.
It was during my last trip to Northeast Thailand, that I encountered a centuries-old Thai Vietnamese community in the old town of Sakon Nakhon.
There, I was surprised to discover that their cuisine consists of much more than what we know today as Vietnamese food. Being away from their homeland, this community has been making a significant effort to preserve some of the dishes that they used to enjoy back home, dishes that can hardly be found in Vietnam these days, like Satu Gai.
However, Thai-Vietnamese food is way more than cultural preservation or nostalgia. At a certain point, the cuisine started to pave its own path, and thus, a new exciting culinary scene emerged in Sakon Nakhon.
On my last day in the city, I stumbled upon a locally renowned restaurant, run by a Thai-Vietnamese family. There was no English menu, but the picture display of the dishes seemed intriguing. I ordered what seemed to be their signature dish, and, well, it absolutely took me by surprise.
Pak Mo Krob - The Vietnamese dish that doesn't exist
In the beginning, the dish seemed to be a sort of a crispy wrap or crepe.
As I bit into it, I was introduced to at least half a dozen different textures, all in perfect balance, accompanied by the sweet and savory flavor that characterizes so many Vietnamese dishes, but somehow with a different kick to it.
As it turned out, this restaurant specialized in wrapped rice paper dishes, also known as Pak Mo in Thai or Banh Cuon in Vietnamese.
The original Northern Vietnamese version of this dish consists of a freshly steamed rice paper sheet, filled with a minced meat filling and sometimes mushrooms.
The dish that I ordered, Pak Mo Krob (literally "crispy rice paper wrap") is an innovative rendition of Pak Mo/Banh Cuon. It featured a crispy layer on the outside, with another layer of fresh and springy rice paper inside.
The innermost layer was made of cubes of peppery Vietnamese sausage and stir-fried minced pork with green onion.
I've been craving Pak Mo Krob so much since I got back home. But, I've always felt intimidated by it, as it seemed to require a traditional rice paper steamer and some serious experience in making Pak Mo dishes.
Yet, after further research and kitchen experimenting, I am happy to share with you all a recipe for Pak Mo Krob - one that can be made in any kitchen, by any of you!
Ingredients
The ingredients to this dish are divided into a few sections to make the recipe easier:
- The meat filling contains ground pork, minced onions, Vietnamese sausage, and seasonings.
- The dipping sauce is made up of sugar and vinegar with garlic, chilies, and fish sauce.
- There are two rice paper layers, one that is fried crispy, and one that is kept soft.
- To serve, you can add some lettuce leaves and fresh herbs. A perfect complement to the wrap!
How to make Pak Mo Krob - crispy rice paper wrap
To make things easier, we will divide the preparation process into 4 steps:
- Preparing the meat filling mixture in advance.
- Preparing the dipping sauce in advance.
- Frying/grilling half of the rice paper sheets (save the other half to be soaked in water in the next step).
- Assembling the dish - we will attach a crispy rice paper sheet to a freshly soaked one, add the filling mixture on top, and wrap it all together.
How to serve this Thai Vietnamese crispy rice paper wrap
This dish is great fun to eat!
You may either eat it like a sandwich or cut it into smaller pieces.
While the sauce may be used for dipping, I also enjoy drizzling some of it straight onto the wrap, into the filling, before I take a bite.
A variation
My personal rendition to this dish is the addition of lettuce, as a final layer to wrap everything together. It adds another layer of crispiness ( but this time - coming from fresh veggies)!
Feel free to explore and variate on this dish, there are so many possibilities.
And, of course, don't forget to leave a comment and share your kitchen adventure with us!
Pak Mo Krob (Thai Vietnamese Crispy Rice Paper Wrap)
Ingredients
For the meat filling
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 green onions (scallions) , chopped
- 1 ⅓ lbs (600 g) ground (minced) pork
- 1 tablespoon white pepper (less if you prefer less heat)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ cup cubed Vietnamese sausage
For the dipping sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 2.5 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 clove garlic , chopped
- 1 Thai chili , sliced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
For the crispy layer
- Frying oil
- 4 dried rice paper sheets (round , 22cm or 8.6 inches diameter)
To assemble the dish
- 4 dried rice paper sheets
- Water , to soak the rice paper in
To serve
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- 1 cup of mint or other fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions
Preparing the meat filling
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- On a low-to-medium heat, add the chopped green onions and stir fry for 1 minute, until aromatic.
- Switch to medium-high heat and add the minced meat. Stir fry until the meat is cooked through.
- Add the seasonings (white pepper, sugar, salt, and oyster sauce) and the Vietnamese sausage. Stir fry for a few seconds, until everything is mixed altogether.
- Turn off the heat, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Preparing the dipping sauce
- In a small saucepan bring the water, sugar and vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Keep boiling for 10 minutes, until the sauce has caramelized a bit.
- Take the sauce off the heat and add garlic, chili, and fish sauce. Mix it together and set aside.
Creating the crispy layer
- In a wide frying pan (wide enough to contain the rice paper sheets), add oil until it reaches a depth of 1-1.5 centimeters. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot enough to fry.
- Take a rice paper sheet, gently rest it in the oil, and remove your hands - to avoid potential oil splattering. On medium heat, fry it for about 20 seconds, remove, and set aside.
- Repeat the same process until you have prepared 4 fried rice paper sheets.
Assembling the dish
- Fill a wide pan or a large baking tray with water. Soak a dry rice paper sheet for 10-15 seconds, until it is moist but not too soft.
- Place the soaked rice paper on a fried rice paper sheet.
- Place roughly a quarter of the meat filling onto the middle of the rice paper.
- Fold the rice paper wrap in half, so the meat filling is covered.
- Repeat the entire process with the remaining rice paper sheets.
- Serve Pak Mo Krob with the prepared dipping sauce and an optional plate of fresh vegetables, such as lettuce, mint etc. Enjoy!
Nutrition
