Bún Chả

Name: Bún Chả
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 500g Ground Pork (20% Fat); 500g Pork Belly, Skin-On, thinly sliced; 2 Shallots, finely minced; 4 cloves of Garlic, minced; 3 tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1 tbsp Nuoc Mau (Vietnamese Caramel Sauce), for color; 1 tbsp Neutral Vegetable Oil; 360ml Water, warm; 120ml Fish Sauce; 80g Sugar; 60ml Lime, freshly juiced; 30ml Rice Vinegar; 3 cloves of Garlic, finely minced; 2 Bird's Eye Chilies, thinly sliced; 200g Green Papaya, peeled and julienned; 1 medium Carrots, julienned; 120ml Rice Vinegar; 120ml Water, warm; 50g Sugar; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 400g Dry Rice Vermicelli (Bún); 1 head of Lettuce, leaves separated; 10 leaves of Perilla Leaves (Tía Tô); 1 handful of Vietnamese Balm (Kinh Giới); 1 handful of Mint; 1 bunch of Cilantro; 1 Cucumber, thinly sliced

Bún Chả is a lively Vietnamese classic of charred, caramelized pork served with light, tangy dipping sauce, crisp herbs and cool vermicelli. The contrast of smoky grilled meat, sweet-sour pickled vegetables and fragrant herbs makes every bite bright and satisfying. It’s perfect for casual grilling or a festive family meal.

Bún Chả is a lively Vietnamese classic of charred, caramelized pork served with light, tangy dipping sauce, crisp herbs and cool v... Show more

Traditional Vietnamese Recipe

Health Grade

D+ · Occasional

Rating

4.4

Time

1 hr30 min

Price

6,69 €

Calories

1526 kcal

high protein

comfort food

grilling

vietnamese

Method

Wash the produce

Rinse the Lettuce leaves, Perilla Leaves (Tía Tô), Vietnamese Balm (Kinh Giới), Mint, Cilantro, Cucumber, Green Papaya, Carrots, and Bird's Eye Chilies in cold water. Shake or pat everything very dry and set it aside.

Prep the vegetables

Peel the papaya, then cut it into thin matchsticks. Julienne the carrots, thinly slice the cucumber, and slice the chilies as thinly as you like.

Quick-pickle the vegetables

In a bowl, stir together 120 ml warm Water, Rice Vinegar, Sugar, and Salt until the sugar dissolves. Add the papaya and carrots, toss well, and let them sit for 15 minutes.

Mix the sauce

In another bowl or measuring jug, whisk together 360 ml warm water, Fish Sauce, sugar, freshly squeezed Lime juice, Rice Vinegar, 3 cloves of minced Garlic, and the sliced chilies until the sugar disappears. Taste it and adjust if needed — it should be salty, sweet, sharp, and a little spicy.

Marinate the pork

In a large bowl, mix the Ground Pork with the minced Shallots, the remaining 4 cloves of garlic, Fish Sauce, Sugar, Ground Black Pepper, Nuoc Mau (Vietnamese Caramel Sauce), and Neutral Vegetable Oil until it feels sticky. In a second bowl or tray, turn the Pork Belly, Skin-On in the same marinade so the slices are lightly coated, then shape the ground pork into small flat patties or ovals. Let everything marinate for 30 minutes.

Grill the pork

Heat the grill over medium-high until very hot. Grill the pork belly and patties until they are deeply browned with a little char at the edges, turning once halfway through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed so the meat browns instead of steaming.

Cook the noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the Dry Rice Vermicelli (Bún) until tender but still springy, about 4 to 6 minutes or according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse briefly under cool water so the noodles stop cooking and do not clump.

Assemble bowls

Divide the noodles among bowls and arrange the lettuce, perilla, Vietnamese balm, mint, cilantro, cucumber, and pickled papaya and carrots alongside. Put the grilled pork in a serving bowl, spoon over the dipping sauce, and bring everything to the table so everyone can dip, wrap, and eat bite by bite.