Bún Chả Hà Nội

25 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vy Khue

Bun Cha is among the most popular dishes in Vietnam. It is a local dish originally from Hanoi, the capital of my country. President Obama and famous chef Anthony Bourdain once enjoyed this dish in Hanoi. This dish is made up of many ingredients, including meat, rice vermicelli, dipping sauce, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and side dishes.

Ingredients

Meat Marinade

4 small shallots
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
Oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon
500 grams pork belly
500 grams pork shoulder
3 scallions

Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

100 grams granulated sugar
100 grams fish sauce
200 grams water
70 grams vinegar

Pickles

Half a small papaya
3 small carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
50 grams white vinegar
20 grams granulated sugar

To Serve

Vermicelli
Fresh herbs (cilantro, basil)

Directions

Bún Chả Hà Nội

7 Steps

Step 1

Cut the pork belly and shoulder into 1-inch cubes. Keep separate and place into small bowls.
Step 2

Add all the marinade ingredients into a food processor. Pulse and divide evenly between belly and shoulder. Toss the meat in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.
Step 3

Remove shoulder from fridge, add scallions and blitz in a food processor.
Step 4

Thinly slice the papaya and cut into 1-inch pieces. Slice the carrots thinly as well. Place in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt, sugar, white vinegar and minced garlic. Mix and Set aside.
Step 5

In a medium pot, bring fish sauce, filtered water, sugar and vinegar to a boil over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and set aside.
Step 6

Form shoulder mixture into 3-inch wide patties. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with marinated pork belly. Place in a preheated 446°F oven for 10 minutes (turn meat if necessary). (If you have a charcoal grill, can cook the meat on the grill.)
Step 7

To serve, add a scoop of pickles to a soup bowl, cover with fish sauce, add vermicelli noodles, pork belly, pork patties, green lettuce and basil.