Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli)
Local name: Bún chả
In short: Grilled pork patties and sliced pork in a sweet and sour fish sauce broth, eaten with cold rice vermicelli and a platter of fresh herbs. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Bún chả is the Hanoi lunch of grilled pork patties and sliced pork served in a bowl of warm, sweet and sour broth, with cold rice vermicelli and a pile of herbs on the side. You dip the noodles, herbs and pork together, bite by bite. The smoke from the grill and the bright fish sauce broth are the whole point. Indoors, a hot grill pan or a broiler gives a close result.
Instructions
- Mix the shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, honey, pepper and oil in a bowl and divide it in half. Add one half to the ground pork and mix well by hand for 1 minute. Toss the pork slices with the other half.
- Shape the ground pork into 16 patties about 4 cm (1.5 in) wide and 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Cover both meats and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.
- For the broth, stir the warm water, fish sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar, garlic and chili, then the carrot and papaya. Leave them to soften for 30 minutes.
- Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, or as the package directs. Rinse under cold water, drain well and divide into portions. Arrange the lettuce and herbs on a platter.
- Heat a grill or a grill pan to medium-high. Cook the patties and pork slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until charred at the edges and cooked through (71°C / 160°F for the patties).
- Warm the dipping broth slightly, divide it among 4 bowls and add the hot pork to each so it soaks in the broth for a minute.
- Set the noodles, lettuce and herbs on the table. Dip a bundle of noodles and herbs into the broth, and add a piece of pork to each bite.
Tips
- For the smoky flavor Hanoi cooks get from charcoal, grill outdoors if you can. Otherwise use a very hot grill pan or a broiler, and turn the pork often so the sugar chars without burning.
- No green papaya or kohlrabi? Use thin daikon or cucumber. Pork belly gives juicier slices, while shoulder is leaner.
Questions and answers
Can I prepare bún chả ahead of time?
Marinate the pork up to 24 hours ahead and make the broth the day before. Grill the pork just before serving, because it is best hot.
What is the difference between bún chả and bún thịt nướng?
Bún chả, from Hanoi, serves grilled pork in a bowl of warm sweet and sour broth for dipping. Bún thịt nướng, popular in the south, is a dry noodle bowl topped with grilled pork, herbs and a spoonful of sauce.
Is bún chả spicy?
No, only a little fresh chili goes into the broth and you can leave it out. The flavor is sweet, sour, salty and smoky.
How long does it take to make Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli)?
About 1 h in total: 40 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli)?
About 680 kcal per serving, with 32 g of protein, 84 g of carbohydrates and 24 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 680 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 32 g |
| Carbohydrates | 84 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Sodium | 1700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
