Nuoc Leo

Ingredients

1 slice clove garlic
1 tb vegetable oil
1 pork liver
1 tb pork
1 ts tomato paste
1/4 tuong
1/2 c water
1 1/2 ts peanut butter
1 tb granulated sugar
1 1/2 tb sesame seeds
10 peanuts

Instructions

-chopped [I use unsalted -Planter's roasted Peanuts.] Thin strips of hot pepper -for garnish I prefer the following version. It's a bit more complex, but one of the ingredients might be a bit hard to find++tuong, a kind of soy bean paste used in Vietnam. A good Vietnamese market will have it. Using medium heat, fry the garlic in the oil. Add the liver and pork. Lower the heat and add the tomato paste; stir and add the tuong. Stir again and add the water and peanut butter. Raise the heat to medium and add the sugar. Boil for 1 minute and transfer to a bowl. Add the sesame seeds to a medium-hot frying pan, stirring constantly until browned. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds to the nuoc leo, along with the chopped peanuts. The sauce can be garnished with thin strips of hot pepper. NOTE: Beef or chicken liver can be substituted, but pork liver is preferred. The piece should be the size of a large chicken liver. From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman, Barron's, 1979.