1Choose pig's ears that are lean, with less excess fat, as fatty parts will melt and reduce shelf life.
2Place two pig's ears into a pot with 2 liters of water.
3Add 3 crushed lemongrass stalks, 2 crushed onions, 10 grams of salt, 30 ml of vinegar, and 20 ml of fish sauce to the pot.
4Boil the pig's ears for exactly 10 minutes once the water comes to a boil.
5After 10 minutes, remove the pig's ears and immediately submerge them in cold water.
6Ensure any remaining fatty parts are trimmed off the pig's ears.
7Prepare a basin of ice water and add 50 ml of vinegar and 10 grams of salt to it.
8Slice the pig's ears thinly and place them into the ice water mixture.
9Use your hands to thoroughly squeeze the pig's ears in the ice water to remove all stickiness; the water will become cloudy.
10Soak the pig's ears for another 10 minutes in the ice water to firm them up.
11Drain the pig's ears thoroughly, or use a vegetable spinner to remove all excess water, ensuring they are very dry.
12To make the sweet and sour soaking sauce, combine 200 grams of sugar, 100 grams of rice or apple vinegar (4.7% acidity), 200 ml of water, 100 ml of fish sauce, and 5 grams of crushed white peppercorns in a pot.
13Cook the sauce on low heat until it boils, then continue boiling for 2 minutes.
14Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool completely.
15Once the pig's ears are clean and dry, add 10 red chilies and 10 green chilies (cut some in half for more spice) and 3 diagonally sliced lemongrass roots to them.
16Mix the pig's ears, chilies, and lemongrass thoroughly.
17Pour the completely cooled sweet and sour sauce over the pig's ears and mix well.
18Transfer the mixture into a clean jar, seal it tightly, and refrigerate for one day before serving.
Ingredients
2 tai heo (pig's ears)
2 liters nước (water)
3 gốc sả (lemongrass stalks), crushed
2 củ hành (onions), crushed
10 grams muối (salt)
30 ml giấm (vinegar)
20 ml nước mắm (fish sauce)
1 thau nước đá (ice water)
50 ml giấm (vinegar)
10 grams muối (salt)
200 grams đường (sugar)
100 grams giấm (vinegar)
200 ml nước (water)
100 ml nước mắm (fish sauce)
5 grams tiêu sọ (white peppercorns), crushed
10 quả ớt đỏ (red chilies)
10 quả ớt xanh (green chilies)
3 cây sả (lemongrass stalks), only roots, sliced diagonally