Bánh hỏi lòng heo Phú Yên — fine rice threads with pork and offal

Keep raw pork and offal refrigerated until cooking. Use commercially cleaned offal; do not rinse raw pork in the sink. Wash hands and clean the board, knife and work area after raw-meat contact. Prepare a clean bowl of ice water for the cooked cuts.

Put the pork belly in one pot with 2 L water, 30 g ginger, 1 lemongrass stalk and 2 g salt. Bring to a boil, lower to a steady simmer and cook, turning once if needed, until the centre reaches at least 63°C / 145°F. Remove from the heat and rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing. Simmer longer if you prefer a softer texture; temperature, not a fixed time, is the safety check.

In the second pot, bring the remaining 2 L water, ginger, lemongrass and 3 g salt to a boil. Add heart and intestine, reduce to a simmer and cook until the thickest part of each reaches 71°C / 160°F and is tender. Add the liver later so it does not overcook; cook its thickest part to 71°C / 160°F. Check each cut with a clean thermometer. Cooking times vary with size and starting temperature.

With clean tongs, transfer cooked cuts to the prepared ice bath for about 5 minutes to stop carryover cooking and firm the texture. Drain and slice the belly and offal with a clean knife. If you are not assembling the platter right away, refrigerate the cuts in a covered container within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F).

Prepare or steam the fresh bánh hỏi according to its package directions until hot throughout. Keep covered and serve promptly. Do not leave cooked rice products at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Warm the coconut oil until fluid but not smoking. Pour it over the sliced garlic chives and stir. Arrange the hot bánh hỏi on a serving plate and spoon the chive oil over the strands.

Stir the sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Mix in fish sauce and lime juice, then add garlic and optional chili. Rinse and dry the lettuce and herbs; slice the cucumber and, just before serving, the green banana. Arrange the pork and offal on a platter with the vegetables, bánh hỏi and dipping sauce. Serve at once.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers. Reheat cooked leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. Discard perishable food left at room temperature beyond the limits above.