Bún Chả (Vietnam)
One of the things that I love about food from Vietnam is how it focuses on light and simple ingredients backed up by big, bold flavors that makes it a cuisine like no other. It’s also one of the healthier cuisines you can explore, with lots of focus on fresh herbs, vegetables, and a hint of chili.
While I did already cover pho here, there was another noodle dish that caught my attention, a classic Hanoi dish known as Bún Chả, a savory dish that combines Bún (thin rice noodles) and Chả (grilled pork) all married together with a sweet and sour nước chấm sauce that might make the ultimate dish that highlights the greatness of Vietnamese cuisine. I suppose you can think of it as Vietnam’s version of pasta and meatballs.
Fun fact, Bún Chả was made popular after two diners came in, sampled the Vietnamese classic, and took the humble noodle dish to international spotlight. Those two diners? They just so happened to be former President Barack Obama and the late Anthony Bourdain, so it can be easy to see how those two got the dish the recognition it deserved.
Bún Chả might seem like another one of those dishes that only restaurants can make, but I’m about to show you that it’s quite easy to make at home. All you need to do is make and cook some meatballs, whisk together the sauce, which contains ingredients that you can find in any grocery store, and cook some noodles. How easy is that?
Serves 4
For the Nước Chấm sauce:
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2/3 cup water
2 birds eye chilis, seeded and finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
For the Pork Meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tsp sugar
2/3 cup finely chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Ground white pepper
3 tsp vegetable oil, for cooking
For Serving:
7 oz thin rice noodles
Big handful of bean sprouts
A few lettuce leaves, folded or shredded
Carrot and daikon radish, cut into matchsticks (julienne)
A handful of cilantro and mint leaves
Sliced red chili (optional)
Lime wedges
Heat the grill to medium-high.
Combine all ingredients for the sauce and set aside. (The sauce is supposed to look somewhat brothy)
For the meatballs, mix together all ingredients except the oil until combined. Divide the mixture and shape into 12 mini hamburger patties.
Scrub any leftover bits stuck to the grill and grease with oil. Add the meatballs, then cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning 90 degrees halfway through each side. (On a rainy day, you could definitely cook the meatballs in a pan)
While the meatballs cook, place the noodles into a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover. Soak according to package directions, then drain.
When ready to serve, divide the noodles among bowls and top with 3 of your pork meatballs. Pour the sauce into the bowls, then top with the remaining serving ingredients.
