Pork and Beef rolled with Piper sarmentosum leaves (Bún chả lá lốt)

Betel leaves (lá lốt) are not sold in Vietnamese supermarkets or even flea markets, but they can be easily found in many families' gardens. They are the main ingredient of the so-called Bò cuộn lá lốt - a traditional Vietnamese dish.

Because beef can be dry, we usually add some pork to make it more fat. Mix pork, beef, garlic, shallots, peppers and a little bit of soup powder (just a bit). Then roll it with betel leaves. After deep fry, these rolls can be eaten with rice noodles as in the picture below.

The Piper sarmentosum leaves to choose should not be too young and too old. Too young makes it hard to wrap, while too old can be easily torned.