Recipe for Vietnamese Pig Ear Salad (Gỏi Tai Heo)
This vibrant Vietnamese Pig Ear Salad is a refreshing and crunchy delight, packed with unique textures and zesty flavours. The colourful mix of pig ears, crisp vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a tangy mixing sauce creates an appetizing dish that's perfect as an appetizer or light meal. It's a savoury and satisfying experience that will tantalize your taste buds!Please refer to the video instructions at the end of the recipe if you’d like to see how to make Vietnamese Pig Ear Salad (Gỏi Tai Heo) in action.
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
- 500 grams pig ears (cleaned and any hairs removed)
- 425 grams mini cucumber
- 130 grams carrot
- 130 grams purple onion
- 1 red sweet pepper
- 2 tablespoons fried shallot
- 2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
- A small bunch of cilantro
- For aromatics: A few slices of fresh ginger, a few shallot cloves
For the Mixing Sauce:
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 3 Thai chilis (minced)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pig Ears:Add water into a pot, then add the pig ears, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and a few slices of fresh ginger and a few shallot cloves for aromatics. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the pig ears are tender.After the pig ears are cooked through, remove them from heat and transfer them to a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. Then remove from water and drain. Pat them dry.Thinly slice the pig ears lengthwise.
- Prepare the Vegetables:Prepare the cucumbers by slicing them lengthwise, about 7 centimetres. Then soak them in a mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar for about 15 minutes.Julienne the carrot thinly using a peeler.Thinly slice the purple onion.Remove the seeds from the red sweet pepper and then thinly slice it.
- Prepare the Mixing Sauce:In a mixing bowl, add 5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 5 tablespoons of lime juice, mix well to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Adjust the taste if necessary, then add the minced garlic and chopped Thai chilis. Stir to combine.
- Assembling:Place the sliced pig ears in a large bowl and add in about 5 tablespoons of the mixing sauce. Mix well. Let them marinate for about half an hour.Going back to the cucumber pieces... Rinse them with water and squeeze them dry.Place the cucumber, carrot, red sweet pepper, and purple onion in the bowl containing the marinated pig ears. Add in the rest of the mixing sauce and toss well, then add the crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallot into the bowl. Use a pair of scissors to roughly cut the cilantro into the bowl. Toss again.
- Serve:Transfer the salad to a serving dish, and garnish with more roasted peanuts and fried shallot. Enjoy your Vietnamese Pig Ear Salad (with Cucumber)!