Vietnamese Bún Chả (Grilled Pork with Noodles)

  • Total time - 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Preparation - 30 minutes
  • Marinating time - 30-60 minutes
  • Cooking time - 30 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: Vietnam
Bowls of grilled pork patties and pork belly in a dipping sauce, served with a bowl of rice noodles and a plate of fresh herbs.

Bún Chả is a symbol of Hanoi cuisine and one of the most popular dishes in Vietnam. Its essence lies in the contrast between the warm, smoky grilled pork and the cool, refreshing noodles and herbs. The key is the balanced dipping sauce that brings all the flavors together. Prepare this iconic dish and enjoy a taste of Vietnam in your kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Pork

  • 400 g ground pork
  • 400 g pork belly, thinly sliced
  • 2 shallots, finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • black pepper
  • cooking oil

For the Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

  • 4 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 100 ml water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 red chilies, sliced (optional)
  • shredded carrot
  • shredded green papaya (optional)

For Serving

  • 400 g rice vermicelli noodles
  • fresh herbs (perilla, mint, Thai basil, cilantro)
  • lettuce leaves
  • bean sprouts

Instructions

Step 1: Marinate the pork

Finely mince the shallots and garlic. In a bowl, combine the ground pork with half of the minced aromatics, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the pork belly slices with the remaining aromatics and seasoning. Cover both bowls and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Nước Chấm sauce

In a small pot, combine water, sugar, fish sauce, and rice vinegar. Gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Let the sauce cool. Add the sliced garlic and chilies. Add the shredded carrot and green papaya. The sauce should be a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and slightly spicy.

Step 3: Grill the pork

Form the ground pork mixture into small, flat patties (about 2 cm thick). Heat a grill or a cast-iron pan. Grill the pork patties and pork belly slices until they are cooked through and have a nice char on the outside. This will take about 5-8 minutes per side for the patties and 3-5 minutes per side for the slices.

Step 4: Prepare the noodles and herbs

Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Arrange them on a serving plate. Wash and prepare the fresh herbs and lettuce on a separate plate.

Step 5: Assemble and serve

Place the grilled pork patties and pork belly slices into the warm nước chấm dipping sauce bowl. Serve the bowl of meat and sauce alongside the plate of cool vermicelli noodles and fresh herbs. Each person can take a handful of noodles, a piece of meat, and some herbs, dip them into the sauce, and enjoy.