Authentic Bun Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Vermicelli)

Us Westerners all know and love Bo Bun (actually Bun Bo, or "rice vermicelli with beef"), especially with the crunchy spring rolls addition on top. In summer, you can see this rice noodle salad all over Vietnamese restaurants' tables. If you want an authentic taste though, you need to try instead the Bun Thit Nuong. This is 100% authentic Vietnamese street food, eaten all over the south (especially Saigon). It usually consists of:

• Cold vermicelli noodles
• Grilled pork (thịt nướng), sometimes beef or chicken
• Fresh herbs, Do Chua (pickled carrots/daikon), cucumber
• Scallion oil
• Nuoc Cham (fish sauce dressing)
• Optional: spring rolls (chả giò) on top ; crushed peanuts.

I admit that I used to love eating a good Bun Bo, but that was before discovering Bun Thit Nuong. It's almost the same kind of realization as when you go to Italy for the first time and try a real tonnarelli alla Carbonara ; within seconds you realize what you've been missing on, and you cannot go back. Two adjustments here make a world of difference : the grilled pork, with its rich lemongrass-based marinade ; and the Nuoc Cham, when homemade, that packs a real punch and brings this simple salad to the next level. As always with Vietnamese recipes, the balance between sugary, savoury and tangy is on point : the marinade is pungent with dark soy sauce, vinegar and heaps of aromatics, but the adequate use of honey and sugar offset any excess strength. Similarly, the Nuoc Cham kicks ass with its vinegar, lime and fresh chilies, but the sugar rounds it all out.

In my opinion, you don't even need spring rolls here ; the flavours from the pork and the Nuoc Cham are more than enough to get a meal that makes your day. If you love spring rolls though, add some ! It's still authentic by Vietnamese standards -simply not an automatic addition.

Authentic Bun Thit Nuong - Recipe

Ingredients - Where to find them

Most ingredients for this dish might require you to visit an Asian store, but you shall find them easily as they remain quite basic Asian pantry items (dark soy sauce, fish sauce (Nuoc Mam), scallions, birds' eye chilies).

• If your Asian store doesn't have a fresh veggies aisle, you might have a tad more trouble finding Daikon for your Do Chua ; simply replace it with pink radishes.
• Can't find traditional Vietnamese herbs (perilla leaves, Thai basil, Vietnamese cilantro) ? Replace them with a mix of mint, basil and classic cilantro.

Recipe - Advice & key points

• I recommend using pork shoulder (échine de porc, for my French friends) for this recipe, as it has a nice muscle to fat ratio resulting in a satisfying tenderness. You can use pork belly instead if you wish !
• You will need to have some Do Chua and Nuoc Cham ready for this recipe. You can get them both done within 30 minutes ; don't let it discourage you !
  • I recommend doubling the amount of water for your Nuoc Cham in this recipe.
• For best results, I recommend marinating your pork overnight (+8 hours), but no more than 24 hours, or your pork might start to toughen.
  • Can't wait overnight ? Try to let it marinate at least 4 hours !
• If you can grill your pork over charcoal, or any other grill, definitely do it ! "Nuong" means "grilled" in Vietnamese. The pork is traditionally grilled, giving it a smoky, caramelized crust. My recipe simply provides an alternative for those who can't barbecue indoors.

Off to the kitchen now !