In a bowl, combine all ingredients except piper leaves. Use your hands to knead well, for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, soak 60 wooden toothpicks in water for a few minutes to prevent charring.
Place a piper leaf, dark side down, on a work surface. Place about 1 tablespoon filling in middle of leaf and roll into a fine cylinder about 2 inches (5cm) long and 3/4 inch (cm ) thick. Make sure that meat is fully covered by the leaf, although covering the two ends is optional. Skewer with a toothpick. Continue with remaining meat and leaves. Alternatively, from meat into small patties and thread several patties onto two skewers, leaving enough space between them to cook all sides fully.

Prepare a charcoal grill (barbecue) or brazier following directions, or preheat an oven broiler (grill) with the grilling rack set about 5 inches (12 cm) from heat source. Cook parcels, turning twice, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully, as hey tend to char quickly.

Serve with table greens, tearing lettuce to enfold the cooked parcel and adding other fresh herbs to taste, and rice paper for wrapping. Dip into nuoc cham nem sauce, spooning some of the vegetables onto he roll
.
Makes about 60

Note: If ground sirloin is unavailable, use regular ground (minced) stewing steak (chuck or hamburger), as it has more flavor than lean ground round (topside). The fat content in ground beef produces a more tender product, as the melting fat bastes the patties internally during cooking.

Hint: If piper leaves are unavailable, use cured grape leaves.
Alternatively, use aluminum foil.

Ingredients:
4 oz (125 g) fresh pork fatback, ground or finely diced
1 lb (500 g) ground beef, preferably sirloin (rump) (see note)
1/4 cup (3/4 oz/20g) finely brown or pink shallots (French shallots)
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper
Juice of lemon
About 60 piper leaves or grape leaves

For accompaniments

Table greens
Rice paper sheets, softened and cut into halves or thirds
Nuoc cham nem sauce