Vietnamese Grilled Pork & Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bún Thịt Nướng)

I just got back from a three week trip to Vietnam and do you know what my favorite part was? Getting to eat noodles all the time. I even discovered some new noodle dishes that I had never even heard of. I’ve mentioned before my love of all things noodle from udon to pho so when I got a chance to take a cooking class and learn how to make authentic Vietnamese grilled pork & rice vermicelli noodles, I was beyond excited. I am actually excited about all the recipe possibilities that came to mind while I was in Vietnam but I’ll try to spread them out over the next few months.

This recipe for Vietnamese grilled pork & rice vermicelli noodles is slightly adapted from what I learned in class since a couple of the ingredients my instructor used aren’t readily available in the states. But don’t worry – all the flavor is still there. The ingredient list looks long but everything should be easy to find. Even fish sauce is available at most grocery stores these days!

The biggest change I made was the cooking technique. The original recipe calls for first stir-frying the meat on the stove and then finishing it off on a charcoal grill (hence the name). In class, we had a small tabletop grill that worked really well but I knew it was going to be too much work for an everyday meal. So, I decided to broil the meat after it’s been stir-fried to get the nice char. It worked great and is far easier.

Fun fact – my husband has always said I hold my chopsticks incorrectly. I have always found this ironic given that I am Asian-born and he is American-born. However, given how my fingers are all pinched together in the above photo I might have to say he’s right. How have I managed to pick up anything all these years?

Vietnamese Grilled Pork & Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bún Thịt Nướng)

• Author: Taming of the Spoon
• Prep Time: 45 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

For the pork

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon ground annatto seed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 pound pork shoulder, sliced into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

For the Vietnamese dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham)

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more if you want it spicier)
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic, optional
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

For serving

• Shredded carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers
• Chopped cilantro and mint leaves
• Chopped roasted peanuts
• Fried shallots (see Notes)
• Cooked Vietnamese rice vermicelli noodles (about 8 ounces)

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Instructions

For the pork

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, 5-spice powder, annatto seed, and turmeric.
2. Sprinkle spice mixture over pork and stir until all the pieces are evenly coated with spices. Add lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, honey, and 2 tablespoons oil. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. 
3. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the meat to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until oil begins to shimmer. Rotate and tilt pan so that oil evenly coats the bottom and sides of the wok. Add pork in an even layer around the wok. Let the pork sit a minute or so until it starts to brown. Then stir the pork and let cook until lightly browned all over and pork is just cooked through. 
5. Transfer the pork to a foil lined rimmed baking sheet, spreading the meat out into a single layer.
6. Place the baking sheet under a broiler until the meat starts to char in places, about 5-10 minutes. 

For the Vietnamese dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham)

1. Mix the sugar and water together in a medium bowl until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.

For serving

1. Place desired amount of noodles, fresh vegetables, cilantro, and mint in a bowl. Top with pork. Drizzle desired amount of sauce in bowl and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and fried shallot.

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Notes

You can buy fried shallots at Asian grocery stores or fry your own. To fry them at home, heat 1/4 cup canola oil in a cast iron skillet. Add 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots and cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring often. Remove shallots from oil with a slotted spoon or chopsticks and let drain on a paper towel before serving.

For tips on cooking rice noodles, see my Vietnamese Grilled Chicken recipe. 

Keywords: rice noodles, vietnamese, grilled pork, noodle bowl, fish sauce