CACH Lam Cha tom

This is love in a bowl. If you’ve had bún thịt nướng you know what I’m talking about.

You have your sweet bits, sour bits, caramelization, some crunch, and aromatic herbs in a single, colorful arrangement. Depending in which restaurant you order your grilled pork with noodles (bún thịt nướng), you’ll find that it’s presented in different ways. For the most part, ingredients are the same, and they’re both eaten with prepared fish sauce (nước chấm).

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.

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!

Author: Hungry Huy

Serves: 4-5 bowls

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds pork, sliced
• 1 package rice vermicelli (small or medium thickness)

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

Dipping Sauce

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.