Bún chả recipe

Hanoi's grilled pork patties and belly served in a light, sweet-sour fish sauce broth, eaten with cold rice noodles and herbs.

1 hour and 15 minutesmedium14 ingredients

Ingredients

• 300 g pork mince
• 300 g pork belly
• 400 g rice vermicelli
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 limes
• 4 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 birds eye chilli
• 1 carrot
• 1 lettuce
• 1 bunch mixed herbs (mint, coriander, perilla)
• 300 ml water

How to make Bún chả

1. Mix the 300 g mince with 1 garlic clove, minced, 5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and half the pepper, then shape into small flat patties.
2. Slice the 300 g pork belly thinly and toss with 1 minced garlic clove, 5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and the rest of the pepper. Leave both to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Quick-pickle the carrot: slice it thinly and toss with 3 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp sugar.
4. Make the dipping broth: stir the remaining sugar (about 2½ tbsp) into the 300 ml warm water, then add 5 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp vinegar, the juice of the 2 limes, the remaining 2 garlic cloves and the chilli, chopped. It should taste light and balanced, not strong.
5. Cook the 400 g vermicelli as the packet says, rinse under cold water and drain well.
6. Grill the patties and belly over high heat, ideally charcoal, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
7. Drop the hot pork and the pickled carrot into bowls of the broth. Eat with the cold vermicelli, lettuce and herbs, dipping as you go.

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