Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll (Giò Lụa)

Servings: 10 Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Difficulty: Advanced
A traditional Vietnamese delicacy: smooth, tender, slightly crunchy and packed with flavour.
Vietnamese Pork Ham Sausage (Giò Lụa) pinit

Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll, known as Giò Lụa, is a traditional dish that holds a cherished spot on dining tables, especially during special occasions like Tết (Lunar New Year), anniversaries and family gatherings. In Vietnam, you’ll find specialised shops, particularly in Hanoi, selling only Giò Lụa and other variants of pork ham sausage. Some famous shops include Giò Chả Quốc Hương and Giò Chả Ngọc Hân. If you’re in Vietnam, these are must-visit places to experience the authentic taste of this beloved dish.

Why Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll so versatile

One of the best things about Giò Lụa is its versatility:

  • Snack or Meal Companion: Enjoy it on its own as a snack or during a meal.
  • Bánh Mì Filling: It’s classic filling for Vietnam’s iconic Bánh Mì sandwich.
  • Noodle Dish Addition: It enhances many noodle dishes, which I’ll share in future posts.
  • Perfect Paring for Tết: During Tết, it pairs perfectly with Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake) and holds a place of honour on ancestral shrines.

Making Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll at home

Since moving to the UK, like many overseas Vietnamese, I’ve learned to make Giò Lụa at home. While it’s available in Vietnamese or Chinese shops, homemade is always better. Why?

  • Control Over Ingredients: You decide the flavour and seasoning, ensuring no unnecessary additives.
  • Customised Flavour: Adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences.
  • Freshness: Nothing beats the taste of freshly made Giò Lụa.

A good Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll should have a smooth texture, tender yet slightly crunchy bites, and the perfect seasoning. Traditionally, it’s shaped into round tubes of various sizes for different uses.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make authentic Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll:

Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll (Gio Lua)'s ingredients

Pork Meat

  • Use pork mince with 12% fat to ensure it’s not too dry or fatty.
  • The meat should be cold. If fresh, freeze it for 2-3 hours until it’s firm but still sliceable.
  • For frozen pork mince, soften it slightly so it can be cut into smaller pieces but keep it very cold.

Seasonings

  • Fish sauce: Adds the essential umami flavour.
  • Sugar: Just a touch to balance the savoury notes.
  • Ground white pepper: For a mild spice.
  • Corn Flour: Helps bind the mixture.
  • Baking Powder: For a light texture.
  • Ice-cold water: This keeps the mixture cold during processing.

Tools

  • Food processor or Stand mixer: I’ve tried both, and the stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) is a game-changer. It’s easier to use and clean.
  • Paddle attachment: Essential for mixing the meat.
  • Steamer: To cook the wrapped sausage, or a big pan to boil the wrapped sausage.
  • Banana leaves, dong leaves or tin foil: For wrapping the sausage.

Instructions

Prepare the pork meat

Start by preparing your pork meat. If using fresh pork mince, freeze it for 2-3 hours until it’s firm but still sliceable. If using frozen mince, let it soften slightly before cutting into smaller pieces. Keeping the meat cold throughout the process is critical to achieving the smooth texture and the slight crunchiness of Giò Lụa.

Add the seasonings

Add seasonings

Place the cold pork pieces into your stand mixer bowl. Add the fish sauce, sugar, ground white pepper, corn flour and baking powder. Leave out the ice-cold water for now, as it will be added later.

First mixing

Using the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, start mixing the meat and seasonings on low speed (1-2) for 1 minute. This step ensures the ingredients combine evenly and begin to tenderise the meat. After this, increase the speed to medium-high (7-8) and continue mixing for 3 minutes. This helps create the smooth, sticky texture essential for Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll.

Incorporate the ice-cold water

Add ice-cold water

With the mixer turned off, pour in the ice-cold water. This step is essential for emulsifying the meat mixture, ensuring it is smooth and sticky. The cold temperature helps maintain the texture, resulting in a sausage that is light and slightly bouncy. Start mixing briefly on low speed to avoid splashing, then increase to medium-high for 3 minutes to emulsify the mixture thoroughly. After mixing, place the bowl of meat mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill it again before processing.

Final mixing

Take the meat mixture out of the freezer and place it back into the mixer. Increase the mixer’s speed to medium-high and mix for an additional 5 minutes. During this step, the mixture should become glossy, sticky and fully emulsified. The finished pork sausage meat mixture will hold together well and have a slightly elastic consistency, ready for shaping and wrapping.

Vietnamese pork sausage meat
Vietnamese pork sausage meat

Shaping the Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll

Lay a large sheet of banana leaf or 4 dong leaves or tin foil on a flat surface. Spoon the meat mixture onto the sheet, shaping it into a cylinder. Roll the banana leaf/dong leaves or tin foil around the sausage, ensuring minimal air pockets.

Wrap Gio Lua
Wrap Gio Lua

Secure the wrap

If using banana leaf or dong leaves, tie the ends securely with string. For tin foil, twist the ends tightly to seal the sausage roll.

Wrap Gio Lua
Wrap Gio Lua
Wrap Gio Lua

Steaming or boiling the sausage

Place the wrapped sausage roll in a steamer or a big pan with boiling water and cook over medium heat for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of Giò Lụa. Once done, remove Giò Lụa from the steamer and allow it to cool before slicing.

Enjoy your homemade Giò Lụa

Once cooled, your homemade Giò Lụa is ready to be served. Slice it thinly and enjoy it as a snack, part of a meal, or as a key ingredient in your favourite Vietnamese dishes. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for longer storage.

Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll (Gio Lua)

Cooking tips

  • Keep it cold: Ensure your meat and water are ice-cold to achieve a smooth, elastic texture.
  • Don’t overcook: Oversteaming or boiling can dry out the Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll. Stick to the recommended cooking time.
  • Let me know how your homemade Giò Lụa turns out! It’s a labour of love but the result is worth every step.

Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll (Giò Lụa)

Difficulty: Advanced Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 60 mins Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 10 Estimated Cost: $ 7

Description

Vietnamese Pork Sausage Roll (Giò Lụa) is a smooth, tender and savoury dish made from seasoned pork, wrapped in banana or dong leaves and steamed or boiled. Perfect as a snack, in Bánh Mì, or with noodles, this homemade version is fresh, flavourful and free from additives.

Ingredients

Cooking Mode Disabled

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pork
    • Freeze pork mince for 2-3 ours until firm but sliceable. 
  1. First Mixing
    • Add pork, and all ingredients (apart from ice-cold water) to the stand mixer bowl. 
    • Mix on low speed (1-2) for 1 minute, then increase to medium-high (7-8) mix for 3 minutes. 
  1. Incorporate Ice-Cold Water
    • Pour in the ice-cold water, then mix on low speed to avoid splashing, then increase to medium high for another 3 minutes. 
    • Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill the mixture. 
  1. Final Mixing
    • Remove the bowl from the freezer and mix on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture is glossy, sticky and fully emulsified. 
  1. Shaping and Wrapping
    • Spoon the mixture onto banana leaf/dong leaves or tin foil and shape into a cylinder. Wrap tightly, sealing the ends securely using kitchen strings. 
  1. Steaming or Boiling
    • Steam or boil the sausage for 45-60 minutes, depending on its size. 
  1. Cooling and Serving
    • Let the sausage roll cool before slicing. Serve as a snak, in banh mi or with noodles. 

Nutrition Facts

Servings 10


Amount Per Serving
Calories 323.3kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26.65g41%
Saturated Fat 8.62g44%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 657.68mg28%
Potassium 311.57mg9%
Total Carbohydrate 2.66g1%
Dietary Fiber 0.09g1%
Sugars 1.45g
Protein 17.38g35%

Vitamin A 2.44 IU
Vitamin C 0.73 mg
Calcium 52.98 mg
Iron 1.14 mg
Vitamin E 0.77 IU
Vitamin K 3.25 mcg
Thiamin 0.75 mg
Riboflavin 0.25 mg
Niacin 4.64 mg
Vitamin B6 0.41 mg
Folate 9.08 mcg
Vitamin B12 0.73 mcg
Phosphorus 224.42 mg
Magnesium 33.1 mg
Zinc 2.24 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: Vietnamese pork ham sausage, Vietnamese pork sausage roll, Gio Lua recipe, Homemade Gio Lua, Vietnamese traditional dishes

Did you make this recipe?

Tag #summerandspicefoodblog if you made this recipe. Follow @summerandspicefoodblog on Instagram for more recipes.

Pin this recipe to share with your friends and followers.

pinit
File under
Recipe Card powered by WP Delicious

Thao Bui

Food Blogger, Stylist and Photographer

Hi there, it’s lovely to meet you! I am a home cook, food lover and the founder of Summer and Spice. Originally from Hanoi, Vietnam—a city abundant in rich, diverse flavours—I now live in the UK with my husband and three kids.

Rate this recipe

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Add a question

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Min

Share it on your social network