Giò lụa (Vietnamese pork roll)

Step 1: Toss 1 ¾ lb lean pork leg or loin with 4 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp sugar in a freezer bag, flatten it and freeze for 1–2 hours, until the cubes are very firm at the edges but not solid.

Step 2: Chill the bowl and blade of a food processor in the freezer for 15 minutes too.

Step 3: Blend the pork in two batches with 2 tbsp potato starch, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground white or black pepper, 2 tbsp neutral oil and 3 ½ oz crushed ice, in 20-second bursts, scraping down between, for 4–5 minutes in all. Stop when the paste is pale pink, smooth, sticky and stretches like chewing gum when pulled.

Step 4: Overlap the 4 large banana leaves, shiny side up, on a large sheet of foil. Spoon the paste into a log 7 cm thick along the middle and roll up tightly in the leaves, then in the foil, twisting the ends hard. Tie with kitchen string at intervals so the roll is very firm.

Step 5: Lower the roll into a large pot of boiling water so it is fully covered, return to a gentle boil and cook for 50–60 minutes; turn it halfway. It is done when the roll feels firm and springy and a thermometer pushed into the centre reads at least 160°F.

Step 6: Lift out, cool upright at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill overnight before unwrapping. Slice into wedges and serve with sticky rice, pickles and a little fish sauce with pepper. Keeps 4 days in the fridge.