Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)

A recipe for Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)! This refreshing meal pairs rice noodles with marinated and grilled pork, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and nước chấm (a seasoned fish sauce) for serving.

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Bún Thịt Nướng is one of my go-to dishes to order at our local Vietnamese restaurant and I was so excited to come across this recipe at The Culinary Chronicles for inspiration! I have always been a little intimidated to try it myself since the ingredient list may seem long at first glance, but it actually doesn’t take much effort to assemble and the results are absolutely fantastic. You can even prepare most of the accompaniments ahead of time or while the pork is marinating. As long as all the parts are kept separate until ready to eat, this dish is also perfect for leftovers.

If you have any Chả Giò (Vietnamese Egg Rolls) around, slice them into 3-4 pieces and place on top of the Bun Thit Nuong to make Bún thịt nướng chả giò. I have been ordering this more often in restaurants to share with Evan. He has become quite the picky eater recently, but still goes crazy for lumpia/Chả Giò/egg rolls.

Notable Ingredients

Bún are rice vermicelli similar in shape to spaghetti. I was able to find them at our local market with Southeast Asian ingredients. I cooked them ahead of time in boiling water, drained well, and refrigerated to cool until ready to use.

Lemongrass is a tall perennial herb native to Southeast Asia. It has a light citrus flavor. I have been able to find it in the vegetable or herb section of larger grocery stores and Southeast Asian markets. If you absolutely can’t find it fresh, it is also often available frozen or in jars. Cut away the fibrous parts of the stalk, the top third if not already trimmed, and the woody root tip before mincing. I usually freeze extra lemongrass in about 2 inch pieces for future use.

Nước chấm is a dipping sauce made by seasoning fish sauce with lime/lemon/vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, and Thai (bird’s eye) chilies. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days if lemon or lime juice are added, but closer to a week with the use of distilled white vinegar. You can pour the sauce over the Bún Thịt Nướng or keep it on the side as a dipping sauce.

Looking for more Vietnamese recipes?

Try 

• Cà Phê Trứng (Vietnamese Egg Coffee)
• Filet Mignon Shaken Beef
• Phở Chiên Trứng (Pho Omelet)

Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles) Recipe

Adapted from The Culinary Chronicles and Vietnamese Home Cooking

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Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)

A recipe for Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)! This refreshing meal pairs rice noodles with marinated and grilled pork, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and nước chấm (a seasoned fish sauce) for serving.

Course Main

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword noodle, pork, rice noodle, Vietnam, Vietnamese

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Thịt Nướng (Pork):

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 2 small shallots (3-4 tablespoons), peeled and minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass bruised with the flat side of a knife, fibrous layers discarded, and finely minced
• 4 garlic cloves finely minced
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound pork shoulder thinly sliced into 2-3 inch strips

Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers:

• 2 medium carrots peeled and julienned
• 1 large cucumber peeled and julienned
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Nước Chấm (Seasoned Fish Sauce):

• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar lemon, or lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1-2 red Thai chiles stem removed and minced

Mo Hanh (Scallion Oil):

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

For assembling:

• 8 ounces Bun rice noodles cooked and refrigerated
• Fresh lettuce thinly sliced
• Fresh bean sprouts
• Fresh cilantro
• Roasted peanuts crushed

Instructions

To prepare the pork marinade:

• To prepare the pork marinade: In a large bowl or large ziploc bag, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, and brown sugar. Mix in shallots, lemongrass, garlic, green onions, cilantro, and black pepper. Add the pork, tossing to coat thoroughly.Refrigerate 30-45 minutes.

To prepare the carrots and cucumber:

• Toss the julienned carrots and cucumber in a medium bowl. Add enough rice wine vinegar to cover. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare the nước chấm:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together fish sauce, water, sugar, and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Whisk in garlic and chiles. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To make the scallion oil:

• In a small skillet, drizzle canola oil over low heat. Once heated, add the chopped scallions and cook just until the green parts begin to wilt, but are still bright, 2-3 minutes.

To assemble:

• Place a grill, grill pan, or large skillet over medium high heat. Lightly grease with oil. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature 5-10 minutes.
• Once the grill/skillet is heated, grill the meat in a single layer in batches until browned, 1-2 minutes. Flip to brown the other side, another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining pork.
• Divide cooked rice noodles among serving bowls. Top with lettuce, cilantro, and bean sprouts, then carrots/cucumber and grilled pork. Brush the pork with the green onion oil. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately with nuoc cham.