[Vietnamese Recipes] Bún Thịt Nướng - Grilled Pork & Rice Noodles

Bún Thịt Nướng litererally means baked or barbecued meat and in this case it’s traditionally barbecued, and the meat is always pork. Bún means noodles, and for this dish it’s a rice vermicelli noodle which is sold in small packages as dried rice sticks.

The presentation of bún thịt nướng in the pictorial above follows the Southern Vietnamese. You usually eat it by mixing everything including the fish sauce. I like to keep the dipping sauce separate, so there isn’t a pool of the sauce at the bottom. It helps to control the amount of sauce per bite, cuz ya know, I’m crazy like that. The bowl is finally garnished with onions in oil (mở hành) and chopped peanuts I like mine with egg rolls (chả giò) on top. I also like adding cucumbers, which is a Southern ingredient.

In the North, the presentation is slightly different. The rice noodles and vegetables each arrive on their own plate. The meat is put in a small bowl, swimming in prepared fish sauce. The meat is additionally paired with a pork sausage, called cha (the dish is called bun cha instead). Đồ chua is added on top of the bowl of meat. Northerners eat this by building each bite in their personal bowl.

Thịt nướng in Huế is a whole other beast.

However you decide to serve yours, you’re in for a treat!

Some differences in the marinade also really affect the flavor of the meat. Only Northerners use lemon grass in the marinade. Some recipes for this dish also call for sesame oil, or sesame seeds, but those do not follow Northern or Southern tradition (it’s possibly influenced from the central region).

Chop and prep all of your ingredients and combine in a bowl before adding the meat. This makes sure it mixes more evenly.

Add the pork to the mixture and mix. Pork shoulder has a nice balance of fat for this–pork butt is a bit too lean. Marinate for at least 1 hour, but for better results–marinate overnight.

Thịt nướng is usually barbecued, with a wire grilling basket like this one. If you want to make it traditionally, grill it over charcoals. I made this in the oven because it’s a lot easier and it is still delicious. If you have time, barbecuing it is worth the extra effort.

Boil the dried rice vermicelli (bún) according to the package instructions. This usually comes in small, medium, and large noodle thickness for about $1.50 per pack. I prefer small and medium thickness for this dish–thinner ones also cook much faster.

Now that you’ve had an earful of information, time to eat!

Bún Thịt Nướng Recipe (Vietnamese Grilled Pork & Rice Noodles)

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins

Author: Hungry Huy
Serves: 4-5 bowls

Ingredients

1.5 pounds pork, sliced
1 package rice vermicelli (small or medium thickness)
4-6 egg rolls if you wish (chả giò)
Marinade
3 tablespoons shallots, minced
1.5 tablespoons garlic, minced
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon thick soy sauce
½ tablespoon pepper
3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

Vegetables
mint – (rau thơm)
Vietnamese perilla – tiá tô
Vietnamese balm – kinh giới
cucumbers, sliced
Garnish
Pickled daikon and carrots - đồ chua
Scallion in oil - mở hành
crushed peanuts
Dipping Sauce
nước chấm

Instructions

1. Slice the uncooked pork thinly, about ⅛". It helps to slightly freeze it (optional).

2. Mince garlic and shallots. Mix in a bowl with sugar, fish sauce, thick soy sauce, pepper, and oil until sugar dissolves.

3. Marinate the meat for 1 hour, or overnight for better results.

4. Bake the pork at 375F for 10-15 minutes or until about 80% cooked. Finish cooking by broiling in the oven until a nice golden brown color develops, flipping the pieces midway.

5. Assemble your bowl with veggies, noodles, and garnish. Many like to mix the whole bowl up and pour the fish sauce on top, but I like to make individual bites and sauce it slowly.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Hungryhuy.com. Thanks so much!