Bun Cha (Grilled Pork with Noodles)

Total Time 45

Servings: 4 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Grilled Pork

400 g pork belly thinly sliced
200 g minced pork formed into small patties
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot minced
1 tsp black pepper

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

100 ml warm water
4 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1 –2 bird's eye chillies thinly sliced

To Serve

300 g dried rice vermicelli cooked
Fresh herbs: perilla mint, coriander
Bean sprouts
Sliced green papaya or cucumber

Method

Combine the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, shallot and pepper. Toss with the pork belly slices. Form the minced pork into small flat patties and coat in the same marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes.
Make the dipping sauce: dissolve the sugar in warm water. Add fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and chillies. Taste and adjust — it should be well balanced across sweet, sour and salty.
Grill the pork belly slices and patties on a charcoal grill or under a hot broiler for 3–4 minutes per side until caramelised and slightly charred.
Divide the sauce into 4 individual bowls (this is meant to be a dipping bowl, not a plate). Add some pork belly and patties to each bowl of sauce.
Serve the cooked vermicelli and fresh herbs alongside. To eat, dip handfuls of noodles and herbs into the pork and sauce.

Notes

Source: Classic Vietnamese recipe. Estimated values per serving. For general guidance only — actual values may vary with cooking style, ingredient brands, portion size and any additional ingredients or accompaniments.