Shredded Pork Skin (Bi Heo)

Shredded Pork Skin (Bi Heo) is a classic restaurant dish and with this easy recipe, you can make it at home. Thinly sliced pork skin and marinated pork are tossed with roasted rice powder and fried garlic to make a flavorful and aromatic dish. Serve the Shredded Pork Skin with other tasty dishes like egg meatloaf, grilled lemongrass pork chops and egg rolls for a meatlover’s delight. Don’t forget the essential accompaniments: broken rice, scallion oil, fresh herbs, cucumber and tomato salad, carrot and radish pickles and fish sauce dipping sauce to make an awesome combination rice plate. Enjoy this scrumptious from-scratch dish at home. The restaurant portions never seem to be enough! 🙂

Notes on the Shredded Pork Skin (Bi Heo) Recipe, Tips and Tricks

Use cooked shredded pork skin. Most Vietnamese grocery stores sell shredded pork skin in the freezer or refrigerated sections. Allow the pork skin to thaw completely before using.

The shredded pork skin should be completely dry before combining with the roasted rice powder. Otherwise, it will clump rather than coat the pork skin. I use a salad spinner to remove the excess water. It does a great job! (Check out this post for some creative ways I use my salad spinner: My Top 5 Uses for a Salad Spinner (and It’s Not Just for Salad). Alternatively, pat the shredded pork skin dry using a clean towel.

The roasted rice powder is one of the key ingredients in this dish. The lovely aroma of roasted rice powder “lightens up” the abundant meat in this dish. Roasted rice powder is available at most Asian grocery stores in the spices aisle. (I’ll share a homemade recipe soon.)

You may be tempted to add more roasted rice powder because it smells so wonderful. Don’t over-do it! Too much roasted rice powder could make the dish taste gritty and sandy.

For this recipe I like using thin-cut pork loin or pork loin chops. These cuts are fairly lean yet still flavorful. Thin-cut meat marinates faster and requires less hand-slicing later. You can definitely use other cuts and bigger chunks of pork. Increase the marinating time if using thicker cuts for better flavor.

It’s important to season the shredded pork skin first as it’s fairly bland. Once everything is combined together, the shredded pork skin and marinated pork are both evenly seasoned for balanced taste. This dish is not heavily salted as it’s commonly served with fish sauce dipping sauce.

Watch the video for instructions.

Shredded Pork Skin / Bi Heo

Print

Shredded Pork Skin / Bi Heo

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6

Calories: 215 kcal

Author: Trang

Shredded Pork Skin (Bi Heo) is a classic restaurant dish and with this easy recipe, you can make it at home. Thinly sliced pork skin and marinated pork are tossed with roasted rice powder and fried garlic to make a flavorful and aromatic dish. Serve the Shredded Pork Skin with other tasty dishes like egg meatloaf, grilled lemongrass pork chops and egg rolls for a meatlover's delight. Don't forget the essential accompaniments: broken rice, scallion oil, fresh herbs, cucumber and tomato salad, carrot and radish pickles and fish sauce dipping sauce to make an awesome combination rice plate.

Ingredients

• 8 oz pork skin , cooked and shredded
• 1 1/2 Tbsp salt , divided, for cleaning the pork
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar , divided, for cleaning the pork
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil , divided
• 1 lb pork loin or chop , thin-cut, 4-5 pieces
• 1/4 cup coconut water
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper , divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp roasted rice powder

Standard - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Pork Skin

1. Transfer the shredded pork skin into the colander and bowl of a salad spinner. Add 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Gently combine together.
2. Swirl the pork skin in cold water and then drain. Rinse the pork skin again.
3. Use the salad spinner to remove any excess water.

4. Transfer the pork skin onto a large plate lined with paper towels. Allow to air-dry while continuing with the next steps.

Making the Fried Garlic

1. Smash the garlic cloves and finely chop.

2. Transfer the chopped garlic into a small skillet. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Over Medium heat, stir-fry the garlic until just golden, approximately 3 minutes.

3. Transfer the fried garlic into a small sieve separating the garlic and oil. Set both aside for now.

Making the Pork Loin

1. Transfer the pork loin into a large pan or plate. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1/2 Tbsp vinegar on the first side. Lightly rub the mixture onto the pork. Flip the pork onto the other side. Sprinkle another 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1/2 Tbsp vinegar and rub again.

2. Gently wash the pork pieces under cold running water, rinsing away the salt and vinegar.

3. Pat the pork dry using paper towels.

4. In a measuring cup, add the coconut water, fish sauce and 1/4 tsp ground white pepper and combine together.
5. Pour the marinade into a large dish. Transfer the pork into the dish. Flip the pork pieces so both sides are evenly coated with the marinade.
6. Cover the dish and let marinate for 15 minutes. (Refrigerate if marinating longer or overnight.)
7. Heat a large skillet over Medium heat and when hot add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Transfer the marinated pork into the skillet. Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes.

8. Flip the pork and continue cooking on the second side. The natural pork juices and coconut water should create a caramel sauce in the skillet. Flip and rotate the pork a few times coating it in the sauce. Continue pan-frying until the pork is fully cooked, approximately 5-6 minutes total cooking time.

9. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate and allow to cool completely.
10. Cut the pork into thin strips.

Combining the Pork Skin, Fried Garlic and Pork Loin

1. Transfer the shredded pork skin (prepared earlier) into a large bowl. Using scissors, cut the strands into shorter lengths.
2. Add 1/4 tsp salt, the remaining 1/4 tsp ground white pepper, 1 Tbsp roasted rice powder and 1/2 Tbsp fried garlic (made earlier). Toss together making sure the pork skin is evenly coated with roasted rice powder.

3. Add the thinly sliced pork loin along with the remaining 2 Tbsp roasted rice powder and remaining fried garlic. Toss together combining well.

4. Add 1 Tbsp garlic oil (prepared earlier) and combine together.
5. Serve the Shredded Pork Skin with broken rice, egg meatloaf and grilled lemongrass pork chops, scallion oil, carrot and radish pickles and fish sauce dipping sauce.
6. Refrigerate any remaining portions and enjoy within the week.

Recipe Video

Notes, Tips & Tricks

• If frozen, allow the pork skin to thaw completely before using.
• The shredded pork skin should be completely dry before combining with roasted rice powder. Otherwise, it will clump rather than coat the pork skin.
• Don't add too much roasted rice powder. It can make the dish taste gritty and sandy.
• It's important to season the shredded pork skin first as it's fairly bland. Once everything is combined together, the shredded pork skin and marinated pork are both evenly seasoned for balanced taste. This Shredded Pork Skin dish is not heavily salted as it's commonly served with fish sauce dipping sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Shredded Pork Skin / Bi Heo

Amount Per Serving

Calories 215 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 63mg21%

Sodium 308mg13%

Potassium 326mg9%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin C 0.4mg0%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you enjoy this Shredded Pork Skin (Bi Heo) recipe, you may also like:

Tools I Love and Use in My Kitchen