Vietnamese Kohlrabi Salad with Pig Ear

Vietnamese Kohlrabi Salad with Pig Ear © kvalifood.com

This is a northern Vietnamese salad of shredded kohlrabi and carrot with boiled pig ear, dressed with fish sauce and lime. The pig ear is chilled until firm, then sliced thin - it has a pleasant crunch from the cartilage. Often served as part of a larger meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 pig ear
  • 120 ml white vinegar, for cleaning
  • salt, for cleaning
  • 50 g coriander, roughly chopped
  • 60 g roasted peanuts, finely ground

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp lime juice (or rice vinegar)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (or salt, to taste)
  • 1 chili, finely minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Directions

Prepare the pig ear

  1. Scrub the pig ear with salt and vinegar for 3 minutes to remove odour. Rinse well. Boil in water for 10-15 minutes until cooked through and the flesh is tender. Remove and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to keep the skin white and the texture firm. Drain and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slice as thinly as possible.

Prepare the vegetables

  1. Peel and thinly slice the kohlrabi and carrot. Place in a bowl with a pinch of salt for 3-5 minutes to soften slightly. Squeeze dry, then rinse and drain again.

Dress and serve

  1. Make the dressing: combine fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Toss the pig ear slices with half the dressing. Leave for 10 minutes.
  3. Toss the kohlrabi and carrot with the remaining dressing.
  4. Combine everything on a plate. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  5. Top with coriander and ground peanuts.

Notes

  • Pig ear is available at Asian butchers. If unavailable, boiled pork belly or shredded chicken can substitute, though the texture will be different.
  • Chilling the pig ear after boiling is what keeps it from becoming soft - don’t skip this.
  • The double-dressing method (marinating the pig ear separately) prevents the salad from going watery.