Recipe

1. In a medium skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the apple and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring now and again, until the shallots are quite soft and the apple is tender, 8 minutes more. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl with the cilantro, basil, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir with a fork and then set aside to cool completely. With clean hands, mix the ground pork into the cooled shallot and apple mixture. If possible, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors get to know one another.
2. Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a half sheet pan or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. If not already portioned, divide the puff pastry in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one piece of the pastry to a square measuring about 10 by 10 inches (25 by 25 cm). Cut the square in half horizontally with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Spread a thin smear of sriracha ¼ inch (6 mm) away from the long side closest to you, going all the way from end to end. Take a quarter of the pork and arrange in a sausage-like shape on top of the sriracha. Brush the near pastry edge with beaten yolk, then roll the pastry over to encase the meat tightly, pressing to seal with fingers or the tines of a fork. Trim to neaten the seam side, if desired. Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, using a third of the remaining meat for the other half of the rolled pastry, then continue with the second block of pastry and the remaining filling. Keep the egg wash for glazing later. Place the rolls in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, then move the rolls back to the work surface. Brush the rolls with the egg wash, slash decoratively (optional), sprinkle with sesame seeds, and cut each large roll into 6 portions. Arrange the pieces on the baking sheet with a bit of room in between.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until deep bronze and hot through and through, 25 minutes. Eat straight away, with nuoc cham. Serve the pickled jalapeños alongside.

Note: If you don’t want to make the nuoc cham, serve rolls with Sriracha-swirled (preferably Japanese) mayonnaise or gochuchang mixed with honey, or prepared hot mustard.

Nuoc Cham

1. Mix the water, sugar, and lime juice in a small bowl. Taste, and adjust until the sweet and sour is balanced. Stir in the fish sauce and set aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and chiles into a paste. Scrape the paste into the lime mixture and stir well. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving, or store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.