Hanoi-style bún chả: thin-sliced grilled pork and charred lemongrass pork patties served in a warm, sweet-salty dipping broth with pickled papaya and carrot. Dip vermicelli and fresh herbs into the bowl as you eat.

Ingredients

For the grilled pork (thịt nướng)

• 1½ lb (680 g) pork shoulder
• 3 Tbsp minced shallot
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1½ Tbsp fish sauce
• ½ Tbsp caramel color (nước màu)
• ½ Tbsp ground black pepper

For the pork patties

• 1½ lb fatty ground pork (at least 20% fat)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp roasted rice powder
• ¼ cup minced lemongrass
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 tsp vegetable oil, for your hands

For the pickled carrot and papaya

• ½ cup (120 ml) water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 small carrot (about 60 g), peeled and thinly sliced (½ cup)
• About 70 g green papaya, thinly sliced and cut into small pieces (½ cup)

For the dipping sauce

• 4 cups (960 ml) water
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (120 ml) fish sauce

For serving

• 14 oz dried rice vermicelli
• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Vietnamese herbs: tía tô (Vietnamese perilla), kinh giới and cilantro

Instructions

1. Slice the pork shoulder thin, just under ¼ inch (about 5 mm). Partly freezing it first makes even slices easier, but it isn’t essential.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir the shallot, garlic, sugar, oil, fish sauce, caramel color and pepper until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the pork, mix well and marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.
4. For the pickles, stir the water, rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
5. Add the carrot and papaya and leave at room temperature for 2 hours to pickle.
6. For the patties, combine the ground pork, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, pepper, roasted rice powder, lemongrass, garlic and shallot in a large bowl.
7. Rub your hands with the vegetable oil so the mixture doesn’t stick, then roll it into 32 small patties.
8. For the dipping sauce, combine the water, sugar and fish sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 5 minutes. Keep it hot, or reheat before serving if you make it ahead.
9. Grill the marinated pork in batches in a grill basket so it isn’t crowded, flipping every 1–2 minutes and moving pieces away from flare-ups. Once the flare-ups die down after the first few minutes, close the lid and grill until cooked through.
10. Grill the patties for about 8 minutes per side, until lightly charred. Charcoal gives the most authentic flavor. You can also pan-fry them over high heat or air-fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes per side.
11. Cook the vermicelli according to the package directions.
12. For each serving, put grilled pork and patties in a small bowl with some pickled carrot and papaya, then ladle in hot dipping sauce to cover.
13. Serve with the noodles and a platter of lettuce, cucumber and herbs on the side.

Notes & substitutions

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Photos