Bún Chả

Ingredients

• 400 g pork mince, not too lean
• 400 g pork belly, sliced thin
• 250 g rice vermicelli
• 6 tbsp fish sauce
• 60 g sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• juice of 3 limes
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 150 g daikon, thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• 1 soft lettuce, leaves separated
• a big handful of mint
• a big handful of coriander

Method

1. Two kinds of pork

   Bún chả always has both: little patties of minced pork and slices of belly. They char differently and that contrast is the dish.

2. Marinate both

   Mix half the fish sauce, half the sugar, the garlic and shallots and use it to marinate the mince and the belly slices separately for at least 30 minutes. Shape the mince into small flat patties.

   30 min

3. Make the nuoc cham

   Dissolve the remaining sugar in 250 ml warm water, then add the rest of the fish sauce and the lime juice. It should be a drinkable, well-balanced broth rather than a thick dressing — this is a dipping bowl, not a drizzle.

4. Pickle the vegetables in it

   Add the sliced carrot, daikon and chilli straight into the nuoc cham and leave them to soften while you cook. They pickle lightly and season the sauce at the same time.

   20 min

5. Cook the noodles

   Soak or boil the vermicelli, rinse under cold water, and drain thoroughly. They are served at room temperature.

6. Grill hard, then dunk

   Grill the patties and belly over a high heat until properly charred at the edges, then drop them straight into the bowls of nuoc cham while hot. Serve with the noodles, lettuce and herbs alongside, and let everyone dip.

   12 min