Vietnamese Noodle Bowls (Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio)
Try this Vietnamese Noodle Bowls Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio recipe.
Try this Vietnamese Noodle Bowls Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio recipe.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 12 oz pork chops thinly sliced (or use pork shoulder)
- 1 stalk lemongrass minced (use only the lower root portion of the lemongrass stalk)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp lime juice (sub rice vinegar)
- 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1-2 bird's eye / thai chilis very thinly sliced
- 6 oz rice vermicelli noodles (i like the extra thin var but any will work)
- 4-6 cooked spring rolls sliced into bite-sized pieces (see note)
- 1 head green leaf lettuce chopped
- 1 medium carrot thin matchsticks
- 1 medium cucumber thin matchsticks
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts roasted and unsalted
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 small bunch fresh mint
- 2 tbsp oil canola peanut or vegetable
- Carbohydrate 19.2114062682749 g
- Cholesterol 58.683512817 mg
- Fat 21.7725858027989 g
- Fiber 4.06794531688345 g
- Protein 26.2924391808298 g
- Saturated Fat 4.05463180382482 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (387g)
- Sodium 3026.83812540085 mg
- Sugar 15.1434609513914 g
- Trans Fat 1.70457279049371 g
- Calories 363 calories
Step-by-step
- Marinate pork: Combine all ingredients listed under Lemongrass Pork. Marinate pork for at least 30 minutes and up to a day.
- Make Nuoc Cham: Whisk together water, sugar and lime juice. Add fish sauce and chilis to taste. (Nuoc Cham can be made up to a week ahead.)
- Cook noodles according to package direction (most need to soak in very hot water just until tender).
- Prepare spring rolls, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and peanuts. Tear cilantro and mint leaves off their stalks.
- Just before serving, heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and then, using a slotted spoon transfer pork to heated oil (be careful - it will splatter when it hits the hot oil). Stir-fry pork until it begins to cook on the outside, ~1 minute. Pour remaining marinade over pork and bring to a simmer. Simmer pork in marinade until marinade reduces by at least half. (Because the marinade was exposed to raw pork, it is important that the marinade comes to a bubbling simmer and reduces so that it is fully "cooked" like the pork.) When the pork is cooked through, remove the wok from the heat.
- Assemble bowls with lettuce and then noodles. Top with all remaining ingredients and enjoy with Nuoc Cham on the side or poured over the top. (I like to toss all of the ingredients together in Nuoc Cham before digging in, but some people like to eat each component separate. It's great either way!)
Soaking rice vermicelli noodles in very hot water requires precise timing, as over-soaked strands turn pasty and disintegrate under heavy sauce. Thin pork slices need at least 30 minutes in marinade before hitting a smoking wok, though extending this resting phase up to 24 hours deepens the savory penetration. When transferring the meat with a slotted spoon, expect intense oil splattering due to surface moisture; immediately pouring the remaining marinade into the hot pan creates a rapid reduction. Simmering that liquid until it reduces by at least half ensures food safety while glazing the meat with sticky caramelization. Nuoc Cham dressing can be prepared up to a full week ahead and stored in the refrigerator without losing its sharp acidity. Freeze neither the cooked noodles nor the fresh herb toppings, as both turn structurally compromised upon thawing. Assembling the bowls demands layering crisp vegetables beneath the noodles to keep greens from wilting prematurely under residual heat.
