An authentic Vietnamese Bun Cha recipe: marinated grilled pork, crunchy vegetables and vermicelli with a sweet and sour nuoc mam sauce.
Hanoi, the capital of northern Vietnam, is famous for its signature dish, bun cha. This tasty dish is omnipresent on the city’s streets, from small stalls to more refined restaurants.
The delicious aroma of grilled pork wafts through the air, drawing passers-by to this authentic feast. Bun cha consists of slices of pork belly and minced pork dumplings, both charcoal-grilled, accompanied by room-temperature rice vermicelli, a variety of aromatic herbs and salad.
All served with a sweet-and-sour nuoc mam sauce, garnished with thin slices of carrot and green papaya marinated like do chua. Not a bad idea for a barbecue?
What is Bun Cha?
Bun cha is a traditional Vietnamese dish from Hanoi. It consists of rice vermicelli, pieces of grilled pork belly and charcoal-grilled ground pork dumplings.
This cooking process gives them a unique smoky flavor. Well, with our current weather, we’re doing it a la plancha/pan, but you get the idea. In fact, in urban environments, bun cha is often prepared in a cast-iron frying pan.
The vermicelli is accompanied by a variety of fresh herbs and salad, all served with a sweet-and-sour nuoc mam sauce. This sauce, often enriched with pickled carrots and green papaya, perfectly balances the rich, salty flavors of the grilled pork.
Difference between Bun Cha and Bun Thit Nuong
Northern bun cha should not be confused with southern bún thịt nướng. Bún thịt nướng, often described as the pork version of bo bun, consists of meat marinated in garlic and lemongrass, cut into small pieces and served over rice vermicelli.
Bun cha, on the other hand, is distinguished by its minced meatballs and slices of pork belly, both charcoal-grilled without the use of lemongrass. This difference in ingredients and cooking method creates a distinct taste experience for each dish.
Speaking of seasonings, those for the meat are quite restrained. And that’s deliberate! The dish is designed to be eaten with the sauce and accompaniments.
How is Bun Cha eaten?
There are two main schools of bun cha appreciation:
Individual Bowl Method
In southern Vietnam, it’s customary to prepare a small individual bowl. Place a few rice vermicelli in the bowl, add grilled meat, then drizzle with nuoc mam sauce. Garnish with herbs and vegetables.
Use your chopsticks to form a bite, place it in a spoon, and enjoy. To eat an ingredient on its own, place it in the bowl first, then lift it with your chopsticks.
Immersion method
A simpler method is to dip vermicelli wrapped in vegetables directly into the sauce. Take a small portion of vermicelli, wrap it in salad leaves and herbs, then dip the whole thing in nuoc mam sauce. Add a piece of grilled meat and eat. This approach lets you enjoy the flavors without the noodles getting too soggy.
In both cases, avoid putting all the vermicelli in the sauce. Instead, take a small amount of sauce in a bowl, add just enough vermicelli, then top up with meat and vegetables for each bite. This ensures a perfect balance of flavors every time.
The main ingredients of Bun Cha
Pork belly or pork shoulder: Main meat, provides the flavor and texture base for the dish.
Oyster sauce Optional, adds a rich, salty umami flavor.
Fish sauce Also known as nuoc mam, it adds a depth of salty, umami flavor to the marinade.
Ground pork: Used to form patties, providing a different texture to pork belly. Ideally, use 30% fat.
Green papaya: Used in pickled vegetables, adds a crunchy texture and slightly tangy flavor. Used in the famous som tam
Lettuce, mint, perilla, coriander: Fresh vegetables to accompany the dish, adding freshness and a variety of aromas.
Driedrice vermicelli: Served with the dish, they add a soft, light texture and absorb the flavours of the sauce and meats.
Authentique Bún Chả – Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork
Ingredients
- 500 g pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoons of oyster sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons shallots chopped
- 0.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoons chicken broth powdered
For the ground meat marinade
- 500 g ground pork
- 1 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoons of oyster sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons shallots chopped
- 0.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoons chicken broth powdered
For pickled vegetables
- 160 g green papaya thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 120 g of carrots sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons of sugar
For the sweet and sour nuoc mam
- 120 ml of fish sauce
- 50 g of sugar
- 750 ml water
- 4 pods garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh chilli chopped
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
To serve
- Lettuce mint, perilla, coriander, etc.
- 1 kg rice vermicelli dried
Procédé
For the pork belly marinade
- Marinate the pork belly for 30 minutes or a few hours in the refrigerator.500 g pork belly, 1 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons shallots, 0.5 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoons chicken broth
For the ground meat marinade
- Marinate the ground pork in the same way. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 min.500 g ground pork, 1 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons shallots, 0.5 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoons chicken broth
- Shape into 5 cm patties.
For cooking
- Grill the pork belly and ground pork patties on the outside over charcoal until golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, bake in the oven at 220°C for 20 minutes (turning halfway through). Or cook on a plancha/frying pan.
For pickled vegetables
- Mix sliced green papaya and carrots with salt.160 g green papaya, 120 g of carrots, 2 teaspoons salt
- Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
- Rinse well and squeeze out excess water.
- In a large bowl, combine the papaya and carrots with the sugar and vinegar. Let stand for at least 1 hour to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavours.2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoons of sugar
For the dipping sauce (sweet and sour nuoc mam)
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, dissolve the sugar in the fish sauce, vinegar and water. Cook for 5 min.120 ml of fish sauce, 50 g of sugar, 750 ml water, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic and chilli. Leave to cool in the fridge.4 pods garlic, 1 tablespoons fresh chilli
To assemble the dish
- Fill a medium bowl halfway with dipping sauce.
- Then add grilled pork, marinated vegetables, minced garlic, chilli pepper and black pepper.
- Serve with a platter of fresh vegetables and cooked rice vermicelli.Lettuce, 1 kg rice vermicelli
- To enjoy, dip some vermicelli and fresh vegetables into the bowl and eat with the grilled pork and marinated vegetables.
