Bánh Tét (Cylindrical Sticky Rice Cake)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Components: Drain the rice and mix with a little salt (and coconut milk if using). Mash the steamed mung beans. Marinate the pork belly logs with fish sauce and black pepper.

2. 2

   Form the Core: Take a handful of mashed mung beans and mold it completely around a log of marinated pork belly, creating a long, yellow cylinder.

3. 3

   Assemble: Lay out several layers of overlapping banana leaves. Spread a thick, even rectangle of sticky rice in the center. Place the mung bean/pork cylinder in the middle of the rice.

4. 4

   Roll: Carefully bring the edges of the banana leaves together, rolling the rice tightly around the filling to form a perfectly round log. Ensure no filling is exposed.

5. 5

   Fold and Tie: Fold the ends of the leaves in neatly to seal the cylinder. Tie the log very tightly with strings spaced about 1 inch apart to prevent water from seeping in during boiling.

6. 6

   Boil: Submerge the cakes in a large pot of boiling water. Boil continuously for 8-10 hours, replenishing with hot water as needed. Remove, press slightly to drain, and let cool before slicing into rounds.