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Vietnamese pork roll wrapped in banana leaf, with sliced cross-sections
Serves2 rolls
CuisineVietnamese
Southeast Asia

Giò Lụa (Chả Lụa): Vietnamese Pork Roll Wrapped in Banana Leaf

How to make giò lụa (chả lụa), the Vietnamese pork roll, following Sift & Simmer's stand-mixer recipe: two short rolls wrapped in banana leaf and boiled. Covers ingredients, shaping and wrapping, checking the center temperature, chilling and storage, the substitutions the source allows, and the dish's place on the Tết table.

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 9

Partially freeze the pork and load the mixer

Placing a covered dish of ground pork into the freezer
Cover the pork and give it time in the freezer to become partly frozen

Sift & Simmer recommends partially freezing the 1 lb of ground pork for 2 hours. You want it partly frozen and cold, not a solid frozen block.

Put the partly frozen pork into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Adding partially frozen ground pork to a stand mixer
Only the pork goes into the mixer bowl at this point
STEP 22 / 9

Stir the seasoning mixture in a separate bowl

Stirring starch, fish sauce and other seasonings in a small bowl
The seasonings and cold water are mixed separately before they meet the pork

In a small bowl, combine the potato starch, sugar, sea salt, garlic powder, sesame oil, fish sauce, ALSA baking powder, white pepper and the 3 tbsp ice-cold water. Stir until evenly mixed. Do not add any extra liquid.

STEP 33 / 9

Break up the pork, add the seasoning, and beat

A stand mixer paddle breaking up partially frozen pork
At first the meat is coarse; wait until it starts to break apart

Run the mixer with the paddle until the pork starts to break up.

Pour in the seasoning mixture from step 2.

Pouring the seasoning mixture from its bowl into the mixer of pork
Add the seasoning once the pork has begun to break up

Keep beating for about 10–15 minutes, until long strands appear and the mixture turns lighter in color.

Beating the pork into a sticky paste in the mixer
Look for long, sticky strands clinging to the paddle and a paler color
STEP 44 / 9

Double the leaves and divide the paste

Layering two banana leaves to make one wrapper
Two leaves for each roll: four pieces in total

Stack two banana leaves for each roll, so you have two double-layer wrappers.

Divide the pork mixture equally between the centers of the two wrappers.

Dividing the pork paste equally onto the centers of two leaf wrappers
Two equal portions make two short rolls
STEP 55 / 9

Shape short logs and knock out air pockets

Shaping the pork paste into a short roll with wet hands
Damp hands keep the sticky paste from clinging

With slightly wet hands, mound each portion into a short log.

Thump and knead each log a few times to reduce trapped air. This helps cut down on bubbles, though it cannot promise a completely hole-free slice.

Lightly thumping the pork log by hand
A few firm thumps help push out trapped air before wrapping
STEP 66 / 9

Wrap in two layers and tie

Wrapping the pork roll in the first banana leaf
The inner leaf goes on first, with the sides tucked in

Roll the first leaf around the log and tuck in the sides.

Wrap the second leaf around the first so that no cracks show.

Covering the wrapped roll with the second leaf
The outer leaf closes over the inner one with no gaps

Secure each roll with two pieces of cotton twine. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second portion.

Tying the banana-leaf roll with two pieces of cotton twine
Two ties per roll hold the leaves in place
STEP 77 / 9

Set up the pot

Lowering the tied rolls into a large pot one at a time
Both rolls go into the empty pot first

Place both wrapped rolls in a large pot.

Pour in water until the rolls are submerged.

Pouring water into the pot to cover the pork rolls
Add enough water to cover both rolls completely

Add a handful of coarse sea salt to the water.

Adding coarse sea salt to the pot with the submerged rolls
A handful of coarse salt goes into the water
STEP 88 / 9

Boil for 45 minutes, then check the center

Boiling the banana-leaf rolls in the pot
Keep the rolls under the water for the whole boil

Bring the pot to a boil and cook for 45 minutes, keeping the rolls submerged. If the water level drops, top it up.

After the 45 minutes, lift out one roll and insert a clean food thermometer into the thickest part, at the center, with the leaves still wrapped. FoodSafety.gov gives 160°F (71°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for ground meat and sausage. Check both rolls. If a roll reads below that, return it to the boiling water, keep cooking and check again, relying on the reading.

Inserting a clean thermometer into the thickest part of the roll
Measure the thickest center with the wrapping still on
STEP 99 / 9

Chill, unwrap, slice and serve

Placing the cooked roll in the refrigerator
Get the wrapped roll into the refrigerator within the time limit

Move the cooked rolls to a plate and let them cool completely before unwrapping. For food safety, do not leave them on the counter until they are fully cool: FoodSafety.gov advises refrigerating cooked food within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surroundings are above 90°F (32°C). Put the still-wrapped rolls in the refrigerator within that time and let them finish cooling there.

Once the roll is thoroughly chilled and firm, remove the leaves.

Removing the banana leaves from the chilled pork roll
Unwrap only after the roll has fully chilled

Slice the roll crosswise with a knife.

Slicing the chilled pork roll with a knife
A firm, chilled roll gives clean slices

Arrange the slices on a plate to serve.

Thin slices of Vietnamese pork roll on a plate
Plain slices, ready to serve on their own or with other dishes
0 / 0
Ingredients

Ingredients

1 / 2

Pork paste

Ingredient Amount Role and notes
Ground pork 1 lb The body of the roll. Partially freeze it before mixing
Potato starch 2 tbsp Binder. Check the label says potato starch
Granulated sugar 1 tsp Gentle sweetness
Sea salt 1/4 tsp Seasoning for the paste
Garlic powder 1/2 tsp Garlic flavor without adding moisture
Sesame oil 2 tbsp Aroma and fat
Fish sauce 1 1/2 tbsp Savory depth and salt
ALSA baking powder 1 tsp Single-acting. See the notes below before buying
White pepper 1/2 tsp Pepper flavor without dark specks
Ice-cold water 3 tbsp Stirred into the seasoning mixture. Do not add more
2 / 2

Wrapping and boiling

Ingredient Amount Role and notes
Banana leaves 4 medium pieces, about 9 × 12 in each Two layers for each roll. Frozen large sheets are one form you may find
Coarse sea salt a handful For the boiling water
Water enough to submerge both rolls Use what your pot needs to cover the rolls
0 / 0

Giò Lụa: A Pale, Sliceable Pork Roll for Celebration Tables

What this roll should keep

Beat the pork until it turns sticky and lighter in color, wrap it snugly in banana leaf, boil it, and check that the thickest part reaches a safe temperature. Then chill it before you unwrap and slice.

At Tết, the Lunar New Year, a plate of pale, neatly sliced pork roll often sits on the table. Vietnam Pictorial describes giò lụa as a dish eaten at Tết and at other special occasions such as weddings, parties and death anniversaries, and as something given as a gift to friends and relatives. The same article presents it as a Tết dish shared across the north, center and south of Vietnam.

Sift & Simmer, whose recipe this article follows, introduces the dish under the names chả lụa and giò lụa, mentions giò sống, and also uses the English term "Vietnamese ham." In that recipe, ground pork is beaten by machine into a smooth, sticky paste, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked into a roll firm enough to slice.

In English, giò lụa is also called "steamed pork roll." The recipe here, however, does not use a steamer: the wrapped rolls are fully submerged in water and boiled. Keep that difference in mind when you compare recipes.

This version follows a single source from start to finish: Michelle's written recipe at Sift & Simmer, using a stand mixer with a paddle, 1 lb of ground pork, two short rolls, two layers of banana leaf per roll and a 45-minute boil. The alternatives that recipe mentions are gathered in their own section further down, so the main method stays consistent.

Ingredients for Two Short Rolls

Ground pork, starch, seasonings, banana leaves and cotton twine laid out as ingredients
Every measured seasoning is kept separate before it goes into one small bowl

Use water as needed for the pot.

The recipe makes 12 servings; that is not a count of slices.

Allergens and raw pork

This recipe contains pork, fish sauce and sesame oil. Check each product's allergen label, including fish-derived ingredients and sesame; no ingredient list can promise the absence of cross-contact. Keep raw pork, and the tools and hands that touch it, away from food that is ready to eat.

Equipment

  • Stand mixer fitted with the paddle (flat beater)
  • Small bowl for the seasoning mixture
  • Cotton kitchen twine, 4 pieces (two per roll). Choose twine sold for food use
  • Large pot that can hold both rolls fully submerged
  • Clean food thermometer
  • Plate or tray for the cooked rolls
  • Knife and cutting board

Choosing and Substituting: What the Source Allows

Potato starch. Look for a product labeled potato starch. Sift & Simmer names tapioca starch as an alternative, but cornstarch is not the same ingredient and is not part of this recipe.

ALSA baking powder. Use ALSA baking powder, which is single-acting. Its current formulation, and whether an equivalent is sold where you live, could not be confirmed. Do not quietly swap in another baking powder and expect the same result; if you cannot find it, treat any replacement as your own experiment rather than this recipe.

No curing agents. Do not add curing salt, nitrite, phosphates or borax. The texture in this recipe comes from the beating in step 3.

Alternatives. These options also work: tapioca starch instead of potato starch, vegetable oil instead of sesame oil, black pepper instead of white, aluminum foil instead of banana leaves, and a high-powered food processor instead of a stand mixer. You can also steam it or make one large roll. The method below does not use any of these, and how they change the flavor or texture is not measured. If you choose one, change only that one thing and keep the rest of the method as written.

Method: Beat, Wrap in Two Layers, Boil, Check, Chill

Time and safety are separate

Boil the rolls for 45 minutes. That is the cooking time, not proof that the center is safe. After the boil, measure the thickest part with a thermometer. The one-hour total does not include the recommended 2-hour partial freeze or the cooling time, so plan around the steps rather than that figure.

Temperature, Cooling and Storage: Keep Each Rule Separate

Question What to follow Source
Is it cooked safely? 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part, measured with a food thermometer FoodSafety.gov
How soon to refrigerate? Within 2 hours of cooking; within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C) FoodSafety.gov
How long does it keep? 3–4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below, the general limit for cooked meat and poultry leftovers FoodSafety.gov

Sift & Simmer says the roll keeps in the refrigerator for one week. This article does not adopt that figure: the public home food-safety chart gives 3–4 days for cooked meat leftovers. That chart lists factory-packaged, fully cooked sausage separately, and a homemade roll should not be assumed to fall into that category. The sources give no reheating guidance specific to giò lụa.

Troubleshooting

Situation What to do
The paste has no long strands yet Keep beating within the source's 10–15 minute guide until strands appear and the color lightens
Cracks show in the wrapping Wrap the second leaf so it covers the first with no cracks showing, then tie with two pieces of twine
The rolls rise above the water Top up the pot so they stay submerged throughout the boil
The center reads below 160°F (71°C) after 45 minutes Return the roll to the boiling water, keep cooking and measure again. There is no fixed number of extra minutes
The roll is still warm when the refrigeration limit arrives Refrigerate it anyway and let it finish cooling in the refrigerator. Do not leave it out to cool fully
Small holes in the slices Thumping and kneading in step 5 reduces air pockets, but it cannot guarantee a slice with no holes at all

Serving: Thin or Thick Slices Alongside Other Dishes

Sift & Simmer suggests slicing giò lụa thinly or thickly and eating it with noodle soups, in bánh mì, with rice rolls, with sticky-rice dishes, or with dipping sauces. These are examples from that recipe, not the only way it is eaten. For related Vietnamese dishes, see bánh cuốn and bún riêu. On a celebration table, plain slices on a plate are enough to stand on their own.

Variations: Other Versions to Keep Distinct

The Sift & Simmer alternatives. Steaming, one large roll, foil instead of leaves, or a food processor instead of a stand mixer all change the method. Sift & Simmer gives about 1 hour for its steamer option. For the large-roll and other options, this article does not give a time. Whatever the route, the center-temperature check and the refrigeration limits still apply.

A hand-pounded version. Vietnam Pictorial describes a different method: lean pork and fish sauce only, pounded by hand, wrapped in banana leaves, tied with bamboo strips and boiled for about 1 hour. That is a separate version with its own ingredients and process. Do not mix its steps or timings into the recipe above.

Giò Lụa in Vietnamese Food Culture

Vietnam Pictorial's article places giò lụa among Tết dishes and describes it at weddings, parties and death anniversaries, as well as being given as a gift. It also describes the dish as shared across Vietnam's north, center and south at Tết. Sift & Simmer likewise connects the dish to Tết in its introduction. These are the descriptions of those two articles; the sources used here do not establish the dish's origin, the history of its name, or a single traditional recipe for every household. The stand-mixer method in this article is one written home version among several, not "the" standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are giò lụa and chả lụa different dishes?

Sift & Simmer presents both names for the same pork roll, alongside giò sống and the English term "Vietnamese ham," and Vietnam Pictorial uses giò lụa for the same kind of dish. The sources here do not set out a regional rule for which name is used where.

What internal temperature should it reach?

FoodSafety.gov lists 160°F (71°C) for ground meat and sausage. Measure in the thickest part with a clean food thermometer. If it is below that, keep cooking and recheck.

Can I use a different starch, oil or pepper?

Sift & Simmer names tapioca starch for potato starch, vegetable oil for sesame oil, and black pepper for white pepper as alternatives. How much they change the flavor or texture is not measured. Cornstarch is not one of the listed alternatives.

Can I steam it instead of boiling?

Sift & Simmer mentions steaming as an alternative, for about 1 hour. It is a different method from the boiled version in this article, so do not combine the two. Either way, check the center temperature before chilling.

How many days does it keep?

Use the general guideline for cooked meat and poultry leftovers: 3–4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below, refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour above 90°F/32°C). The one-week figure on the recipe page is not used here as a safety limit.

Can I add curing salt or another additive to make it springier?

No. Curing salt, nitrite, phosphates and borax are not part of this recipe. The springy texture comes from beating the pork in step 3.

Sources