Pâté Châud (Puff Pastry Pork from Little Saigon)

Pâté Châud, or Bánh Paté Sô, are little savory puff pastries, and they are sold in the pastry shops of Little Saigon, a community spanning Westminster and Garden Grove in Southern California, home to the largest concentration of people of Vietnamese descent outside of Vietnam. 

These pate chaud (pronounced ba-tay show and meaning "hot pie") are a tasty snack or appetizer and often enjoyed with a cup of Vietnamese coffee. 

Pate chaud have origins in the French colonization of Vietnam, but, similar to banh mi sandwiches and banh mi rolls, the Vietnamese have made this pastry their own. 

After the fall of Saigon and the immigration of about 250,000 Vietnamese to the U.S. between 1975 and 1980 (later to grow to about 3.4 million), the refugees settled mostly in California and Texas. In California, Orange County (Westminster and Garden Grove) was the main destination. 

The Little Saigon community in Orange County is not a touristy destination, but rather a living and working community evolved to meet the needs of the original refugees as well as those who followed. 

Ingredients in this Pate Chaud: 

These pate chaud consist of little pork balls enclosed in puff pastry. 

Ground pork

Minced onion

Ground white pepper: You can substitute black pepper if that's all you have available. 

Garlic: Both minced garlic and garlic powder. 

Sugar: Just a little to add a bit of sweetness. You could also substitute oyster sauce. 

Fish sauce: If you can't find it, substitute either Worcestershire sauce, salt, or Maggi Seasoning. 

Puff Pastry: Store bought such as Pepperidge Farm is just fine. Two sheets, thawed but cold. 

Egg: For the Egg wash. 

How to Make This Puff Pastry Pork: 

First, combine the ground pork, onion, garlic, garlic powder, pepper, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Divide the meat into 9 balls, each about 1 1/2 inches around. 

Next, Cut one of the sheets of puff pastry into 9 squares, about 3 inches each. Place the meatballs in the center of each square. Cut the second piece of puff pastry into 9 squares and then roll each square to be slightly larger. 

After that, brush the edges with an egg wash and press the squares over the meatballs and crimp the edges with a fork. 

Finally, brush the tops with more egg wash and bake the pastries until browned and puffed, and the pork is cooked through. 

Recipe Variations: 

While this pastry is traditionally made with ground pork, you can also make it with beef or chicken. Additionally, you can add a little pork paté to the meatball mixture. 

Other traditional additions include wood ear mushrooms as well as binding ingredients such as cornstarch or egg added to the meatballs. 

Make-Ahead and Leftovers: 

If you have leftovers, wrap them in foil and refrigerate them for up to three days. Reheat them in a 350 degree F oven or air fryer for 15 to 20 minutes. 

You can also freeze unbaked pastries for up to three months. Just add an additional 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. 

This week, the From Our Dinner Table group is sharing regional recipes. I wanted to share something that was local to Southern California. I've already shared a copycat In-N-Out Double Double, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, a recipe for a local breakfast burrito, and pea soup from a roadside restaurant in Central California. 

I decided to share a recipe from Little Saigon, which is an area nearby and a great source for amazing food. Plus, in the early 1980s, I used to work in Westminster for an employment agency and helped place many of the new refugees in jobs. Of course, things have changes and evolved, but the food has become ubiquitous throughout the region. 

Regional Recipe Faves

• Green Goddess Dressing from That Recipe
• Pâté Châud (Puff Pastry Pork from Little Saigon) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pierogi and Kielbasa Bake from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Wisconsin Old Fashioned from Art of Natural Living

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Pâté Châud (Puff Pastry Pork from Little Saigon)

Yield: 9 Pastries

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Pâté Châud, or Bánh Paté Sô, are little savory puff pastries, and they are sold in the pastry shops of Little Saigon, a community spanning Westminster and Garden Grove in Southern California, home to the largest concentration of people of Vietnamese descent outside of Vietnam.

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup minced onion or shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 puff pastry sheets, such as Pepperidge farm
• 1 egg, whisked

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the pork, onion, minced garlic, garlic powder, pepper, and fish sauce in a medium bowl with your hands. Form the mixture into 9 1 1/2 inch balls.
3. Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions, making sure to keep them cold.
4. Cut one sheet into 9 equally sized squares. Place a pork ball in the center of each square.
5. Cut the second sheet into 9 equally sized squares and roll them out with a rolling pin to be slightly larger. Brush the edges of the first squares (the ones with the meatballs on top) with the egg wash and place the second set of squares over each meatball and match up the edges of the pastry. Be sure to keep the bottom layer flat and round the top layer over the meatball. Crimp the edges with a fork.
6. Brush the tops with the rest of the egg wash.
7. Bake the pastries for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden, the pastry is fully puffed, and the pork is 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Serve while still warm.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

357

Fat (grams)

25 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7 g

Carbs (grams)

26 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

25 g

Sugar (grams)

1 g

Protein (grams)

8 g

Cholesterol (grams)

30 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/07/pate-chaud-puff-pastry-pork-from-little.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

puff pastry, pork

appetizer

Vietnamese

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Recipe inspired by The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon by Ann Le, published in 2006. 

This book includes the traditional recipes along with a fascinating history of Vietnamese refugees, the Little Saigon region, and the food. Her family moved to the area in 1975 after the fall of Saigon.