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1
To poach the shrimp, fill a small saucepan half full with water, add the salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
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2
Add the shrimp, remove from the heat, and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp have curled nicely and are pinkish orange.
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3
Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
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4
Leave the water in the pan.
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5
While the shrimp are poaching, trim any excess fat from the pork chop.
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6
Return the water in the pan to a rolling boil and drop in the pork.
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7
When the water starts bubbling at the edges of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and cover tightly.
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8
Let stand for 20 minutes.
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9
The pork should be firm yet still yield a bit to the touch.
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10
Remove the pork from the pan and let cool.
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11
Save the light stock for another use or discard.
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12
Working with 1 shrimp at a time, lay it flat on a cutting board and cut in half horizontally.
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13
(Use the index and middle fingers of your noncutting hand to keep the shrimp in place as you wield the knife.)
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14
Devein the shrimp as necessary.
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15
Set aside on a plate.
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16
Thinly slice the pork across the grain into strips about 1/8 inch thick, 1/2 inch wide, and 4 inches long.
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17
Add to the plate of shrimp.
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18
Set up a wrapping station composed of a flat work surface (a cutting board, inverted baking sheet, or dish towel) and a bowl of water for dipping the rice papers.
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19
Place the shrimp, pork, noodles, lettuce, and herbs nearby.
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20
Dip a rice paper round in water and then place it on your work surface.
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21
(See page 331 for tips on working with rice paper.)
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22
When the rice paper is pliable and tacky, fold a lettuce leaf in half along its central spine and then tear off the spine.
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23
Place the folded leaf on the lower third of the rice paper round.
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24
Put about 1/4 cup of the noodles on top of the lettuce, spreading them in a rectangle.
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25
Lay a couple of pork strips on top (slightly overlapping, if necessary), and then arrange a few mint and cilantro leaves on top of the pork, spreading them out to distribute their flavors evenly.
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26
Bring up the lower edge of the rice paper to just cover the herbs.
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27
Then roll the rice paper a half turn so that the lettuce is on top and visible through the rice paper.
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28
Add 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, to the unrolled portion of rice paper, lining them up snugly along the partially finished roll.
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29
Fold the sides of the round inward to cover the filling.
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30
Roll one more full turn, so that the orange sides of the shrimp are now facing up and visible through the rice paper.
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31
Tuck 2 or 3 Chinese chives into the roll, letting them extend out one end.
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32
Continue to roll until you have a snug cylindrical package.
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33
The rice paper is self-sealing.
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34
Use a knife or scissors to trim the chives, leaving a 3/4-inch tail extending from the end.
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35
Repeat this process to make 16 rolls in all, placing the finished rolls on a serving platter.
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36
If the rolls seem too long to manage and eat comfortably, cut them in half on the diagonal.
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37
Serve the rolls with the sauce.
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38
Diners can dip the rolls into the sauce or spoon some sauce onto the rolls.
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39
While the pork and shrimp may be poached a day ahead, slice them on the day you wrap.
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40
The noodles may be cooked early in the day, covered with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature.
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41
You may wrap the rolls 2 hours in advance of serving.
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42
Keep them covered with plastic wrap to prevent the rice paper from drying out and becoming unpleasantly tough.
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43
If you are cutting the rolls, do so just before serving, or they may lose their nice shape.
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44
You can wrap other items in these rolls, too, but they must be thinly sliced so that they are flexible enough to roll.
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45
Seeded cucumber strips, julienned carrot, seared tofu strips, and slices of left over grilled meats are among the possibilities.
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46
Different fresh herbs, such as Vietnamese coriander (rau ram) or Thai basil, may be incorporated to introduce different flavors.
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47
The elements that you need to preserve are the lettuce leaves and noodles, which give the rolls body, and the hoisin-garlic sauce, which marries all the flavors.
