Grilled Vietnamese Sausage Skewers (Nem Nuong)

Bacon Mixture Ingredients:

• 1 package Swift Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot

Annatto Oil Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp annatto seeds 

Nem Nuong Ingredients:

• 1 lb Swift Ground Pork
• 4 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 Tbsp rice cooking wine or sherry
• wooden skewers
• lettuce leaves, whole
• nuoc cham sauce

Directions:

1. Add bacon, garlic, and shallot into a food processor and pulse until a bacon paste forms. Set aside.
2. Next, make the annatto oil. Heat 2 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil in a pan on low heat and add the annatto seeds, stir for a few minutes. Once the seeds have turned the oil a bright orange color, turn the heat off.
3. Remove the seeds and save the oil for adding to the pork later.
4. Mix Nem Nuong ingredients in the food processor for about 10 minutes. Try to achieve a fine texture.
5. Add in the bacon mixture and annatto oil and mix for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Place the meat mixture in the refridgerator to chill for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, soak wooden skewers in water.
7. Set up an area with the meat, skewers, and a sheet pan or large platter for the finished skewers. Add a touch of oil to gloves or hands so the meat doesn’t stick. Take a spoonful (about 1 Tbsp of meat) into hands and roll it into a ball. Continue the process until all of the meat mixture is utilized. Place meatballs onto skewers.
8. Preheat grill to 450-500ºF degrees.
9.  Coat grill grates with oil so the meat doesn’t stick. Grill skewered meat about 3 minutes per side, or until they have formed char marks, then flip. If the meat is not ready to be flipped it will stick to the grates. The skewers are done once the internal temperature reaches 160ºF internal degrees.
10. Serve Nem Nuong in whole lettuce leaves. Drizzle with nuoc cham sauce.