Bún thịt nướng
A straightforward recipe for a timeless vietnamese classic dish.
Some tips
- Select tender cuts with a well-balanced fat content, such as pork belly or pork shoulder.
- Prior to slicing, chill the meat in the freezer for 1 hour to facilitate cleaner and thin cuts and simpler handling.
- For more pronounced flavors, marinate the meat for at least an hour. But for the best results, marinate overnight.
Equipment
- 18 BBQ bamboo skewers, 18 cm long
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly (skin cut off) or pork shoulder
For the marinade:
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp shallots minced
- ¼ cup lemongrass minced
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or ganulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp black pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- vermicelli cooked, following the packaging instructions
- lettuce
- cucumbers
- basil
- cilantro
- fried shallots
- crushed peanuts
- nước mắm *see recipe notes
Instructions
Marinate the meat:
- In a bowl, combine garlic, shallots, lemongrass, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, black pepper, brown sugar, neutral oil, and sesame seeds. Mix until well combined.
- Add the thinly sliced pork belly to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
Cook the meat:
- Once the pork belly has marinated, thread the slices onto the soaked wooden skewers, weaving them onto the skewers in an accordion-like fashion.
- Place the skewers on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then, broil on high for another 5 minutes, or until the edges look crisp.
Prepare the rest of the dish:
- While the pork skewers are in the oven, prepare the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- To assemble the bún thịt nướng, divide the cooked vermicelli noodles among serving bowls. Top each bowl with the pork, lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and pickled carrots and daikon (if using).
- Sprinkle crushed peanuts and fried shallots over the bowls and serve with Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước mắm) on the side.
Notes
For the nước mắm, combine and mix ¾ cup of water with 4 tbsp white granulated sugar, 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon, 6 tbsp fish sauce and 2 cloves of garlic (minced).