← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 500 g fatty minced pork (20% fat)
• 300 g skinless pork belly, sliced 3 mm thin
• 3 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 3 Shallot, finely chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Lemongrass, very finely minced (optional)
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 250 ml hot water
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tbsp White vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Bird's eye chilli, sliced
• 1 Carrot, thinly sliced into rounds
• 400 g Rice vermicelli
• 1 soft lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 bunch Mint
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro)
• 1 bunch Thai basil or perilla (optional)

Method

1. Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, pepper and oil. Divide between the minced pork and the sliced belly in two bowls and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. For the dipping sauce, stir the sugar into the hot water until dissolved, then add the fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice, garlic and chilli. Add the carrot slices and let it cool; it should taste sweet, sour and salty all at once.
3. Cook the noodles according to the packet, rinse under cold water and drain well. Arrange the lettuce and herbs on a platter.
4. With oiled hands, shape the minced pork into small flat patties about 5 cm wide.
5. Heat a barbecue, griddle pan or hot oven grill. Cook the patties for 4–5 min per side until charred and cooked through (71°C / 160°F), and the belly slices for 3–4 min per side until caramelised.
6. Drop the hot pork straight into bowls of the warm dipping sauce. Everyone dunks noodles and herbs into their bowl and eats it all together.

Tips

• Charcoal gives the authentic smoky flavour, but a very hot cast-iron griddle gets close.
• Oyster sauce contains wheat; use a gluten-free one if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Vicky Pham Marion's Kitchen