The Ultimate Guide to Making Fluffy Meat Floss (Cha Bong) With a Meat Grinder: Achieving the Perfect Texture Without the Mush

11 September, 2024

Meat floss, or ‘ruốc thịt’, is a beloved, versatile dish in Vietnamese cuisine, commonly paired with white rice, sticky rice, porridge, or bread. While it’s not a complicated dish, the process of making it can be tedious and laborious, especially when it comes to the traditional method of hand-shredding the meat. This age-old technique results in soft, fluffy floss, but it is very time-consuming.

On the other hand, store-bought meat floss often falls short in terms of flavor and quality. So, what’s the solution to this dilemma?

Instead of manually shredding the meat, you can use a meat grinder or food processor to speed up the process and achieve similar results. This small change can significantly reduce the time and effort required to make this delicious dish.

Selecting the Best Pork

For meat floss, we only use lean pork, specifically cuts like tenderloin or pork loin. Look for meat with a bright, pink hue, devoid of any rancid or putrid odors. The ideal texture is moist yet dry to the touch, with a good bounce and no excess water.

Preparing the Pork

Once you’ve selected your pork, give it a good rinse and trim away any tendons or excess fat. For longer, fluffier strands of floss, cut the meat into large, thin slices, following the grain of the meat.

Marinate the pork slices with a mixture of fish sauce, seasoning powder or chicken broth powder, black pepper, and MSG (optional). You can adjust the quantities to suit your taste.

Place the marinated pork in a pan and simmer over low heat.

For longer strands of meat floss, cut the pork into large, thin slices.

Once the pork is cooked, transfer it to a bowl. While it’s still hot, use a garlic press or the flat side of a knife to gently pound the meat. Doing this while it’s warm will make it softer and easier to work with.

Setting Up Your Grinder or Food Processor

To achieve that signature fluffy texture and avoid breaking the meat strands, it’s crucial to wrap the blade of your grinder or food processor securely. Use tape to tightly bind the blade, ensuring it’s fully covered to minimize the blade’s sharpness and prevent the meat from becoming overly fine or mushy.

Add the pounded meat to the grinder or food processor while it’s still warm to enhance the fluffiness of the floss.

Pulse the machine in short bursts of about 3 seconds each, releasing the button in between. Avoid holding it down for too long, as this can break the meat strands. Continue until you achieve the desired fineness.

Using a grinder or food processor saves time and effort in making meat floss.

Return the processed meat to the pan and sauté over low heat until it’s dry and fragrant.

Some manufacturers now offer grinders with special attachments designed specifically for making meat floss, making the process even more streamlined and efficient.

Frequently asked questions

Meat floss, or ‘Cha Bong’ is a delicious and fluffy meat dish that can be made at home. The ultimate guide to making it is by using a meat grinder to achieve the perfect texture without the mush. The process involves grinding lean meat and then mixing it with a sticky sauce made from honey, soy sauce, and other spices.

Lean meats such as pork shoulder or chicken breast work best for making meat floss. It is important to trim any visible fat from the meat as this can make the floss greasy and affect the fluffy texture.

Grinding the meat yourself ensures you have control over the texture and quality of the meat floss. Pre-ground meat often contains preservatives and can be too fine or mushy for this recipe. By grinding it yourself, you can achieve the perfect, fluffy consistency.

The key to achieving a fluffy texture is in the grinding technique and the addition of a sticky sauce. First, grind the meat in batches and ensure it is partially frozen to maintain a coarse, fluffy texture. Then, mix it with a sticky sauce made from honey, soy sauce, and other spices. This sauce helps bind the meat fibers and creates a fluffy, airy texture.

Meat floss can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It is not recommended to freeze meat floss as it may affect its fluffy texture.