Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Noodles (Bun Thit Nuong)

Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Noodles (Bun Thit Nuong)

Serves 4-6 

This dish, Vietnamese Grilled Pork is prepared on the streets throughout Vietnam, with slight regional recipe differences. Thin, fragrant pork slices are barbequed over coals and served over cold rice noodles with a spicy dressing.    

I prepared this recipe for City Press iMag

Ingredients 

350 g pork shoulder or steaks

1 lemongrass stalk

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp 5 spice

1 tbsp palm or brown sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

canola oil for grilling

3 cups cooked rice noodles, left to cool until serving

Method

1. Cut the meat into 15 cm pieces about 3-4 cm in width. Bash with a meat mallet until less than ½ cm in thickness.
2. Pound the lemongrass in a pestle and mortar until fine. Add 2 tablespoons of water and continue pounding until it softens and forms a paste. This takes a bit of elbow grease. Mix lemongrass and all the remaining marinade ingredients together.
3. Add pork to a large bowl or ziplock bag. Add the marinade and mix well to cover. Leave covered in the fridge overnight or for 6-8 hours.
4. Thread onto skewers, spreading meat out so it doesn’t bunch up which will result in uneven cooking.
5. Oil a griddle pan or (ideally) light a braai and grill pork skewers for a minute or so each side, pressing down. Cook a little longer if meat is thicker.
6. Serve over cold rice noodles with cucumber slices, chopped chilli and fish sauce to drizzle over.

7. 

   Bun Thit Nuong

                                                   See my recipe for Fresh Spring Rolls, also in the same edition of the magazine, here