Bún Chả

Where This Goes Wrong

Charcoal makes a real difference here. If using a griddle, get it hotter than feels sensible.

The broth should taste slightly under-seasoned on its own; it is diluted by the noodles and herbs.

Use as many herb varieties as you can find. The mix is half the dish.

How to Make Bún Chả

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1. Combine half the fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, garlic, shallots, pepper and turmeric with the minced pork and knead for 2 minutes until sticky. Do the same with the belly slices and the other half.

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2. Cover and marinate both in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 4.

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3. For the broth, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then add the fish sauce, lime juice and vinegar. Taste — it should be mild enough to sip. Add the garlic, chilli, carrot and papaya and leave 30 minutes to pickle lightly.

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4. Shape the minced pork into 12 flat patties about 5 cm across.

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5. Grill the patties and belly slices over charcoal or on a very hot griddle for 4 to 5 minutes a side, until charred at the edges and cooked through.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

6. Cook the vermicelli, rinse under cold water and drain well. Serve at room temperature.

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7. Warm the broth gently — it should be warm, not hot — and divide between individual bowls.

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8. Drop the hot grilled pork straight into each bowl of broth.

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9. Serve with the noodles, lettuce and herbs on a platter, and let everyone dip noodles and herbs into their bowl.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Choosing rice.

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Why the Method Works

The dipping broth is a diluted nuoc cham served warm, and its balance — fish sauce, sugar, lime and water — is calibrated so it can be drunk by the spoonful rather than used as a concentrated sauce. Grilling the pork over high heat so it chars is essential; those bitter caramelised edges are what the sweet broth is designed to offset.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Cooked pork keeps 3 days refrigerated. Broth keeps 5 days. Cook noodles fresh; they harden when chilled.

Changing the Recipe

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Bún Chả

• A cold Vietnamese lager
• Serve with fried spring rolls on the side, as in Hanoi
• Finish with Vietnamese iced coffee

Common Questions About Bún Chả

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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