Northern Vietnam Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Pork Meatballs (Bun Cha Hanoi)

What is Bún Chả Hà Nội?

My favorite Vietnamese dish of all time is Hanoi rice vermicelli with grilled pork patties/meatballs, also known as Bún Chả.

Bún Chả is a Northern Vietnamese specialty originating from Hanoi, known for its unique combination of flavors and textures.

It is a refreshing and light dish, consisting of grilled pork patties (chả), and sometimes thinly sliced pork belly and shrimp, served with round rice vermicelli noodles (bún), pickled and fresh herbs, and a fish sauce-based sweet dipping broth to bring all the flavors and textures together.

This a popular dish that you can find in many Vietnamese restaurants that perfectly and wonderfully balances the five S’s: sweet, sour, salty, spicy and smoky.

How to Make It

Step 1: Season the pork

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, ground black pepper, roasted rice powder, MSG, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots.

Step 2: Make patties and grill

To prevent the ground pork mixture from sticking to your hands, oil them with vegetable oil. Roll the mixture into 32 small patties. Grill the patties over charcoal fire for a more authentic taste, about 8 minutes per side or until lightly charred.

I’m using a metal wire grilling basket, which is a common sight in Vietnam when grilling over charcoal. It’s not essential if you have a grill, but it can be a helpful tool for smaller foods that can fall through the grill grates. It also produces beautiful, thin grill marks and makes it easy to flip food in one go.

You can also pan-fry the patties on high heat on the stovetop or air-fry them at 350°F, about 5 minutes per side.

Step 3: Make the quick pickled papaya

In a medium bowl, combine sliced papaya and salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse the salted papaya under cold running water and squeeze out excess water. Drain. Mix with water sugar and vinegar. Set aside.

Step 4: Make the dipping sauce/broth

In a large bowl, mix together water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Add fish sauce, lime juice, coconut soda, garlic, and chili peppers.

Step 5: Cook the noodles per package instructions

Step 6: Assemble

For each serving, add pork patties to a small bowl and cover with sweet papaya chili sauce. Serve with rice noodles and a platter of vegetables and herbs on the side.

Step 7: Enjoy

Tear lettuce leaves and your favorite herbs into the bowl. Add a bit of noodles and swish to coat with the sauce. Enjoy with the pork patties, pickled papaya, and sauce. Repeat for each bite.

FAQs

I can’t find roasted rice powder. Can I make my own?

Yes you can. Wash and rinse your favorite rice grains as if you are making steamed rice. Transfer the rice grains to a dry skillet. Toast on medium-high heat, constantly tossing to brown the rice grains on all sides. Transfer the toasted rice grains to a mortar and pestle or food processor then grind them into a fine powder.

I don’t have rice grains to make roasted rice powder either.

No problem. Leave it out. It’s not too essential to the recipe and will still tastes very good without.

Can I air fry the patties?

Yes, you can. To do this, preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place the patties in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between them. Air fry for 5 minutes per side, or until lightly charred.

How can I make the patties/meatballs more bouncy and springy to resemble the restaurant texture?

This is entirely optional but to make the patties more bouncy and springy, like the texture of Vietnamese sausage (Nem Nướng), you can beat the pork mixture into a paste. This will help to develop the myosin protein in the meat, which gives the patties their elasticity.

You can use a food processor to mix the pork mixture with a cup of ice cubes. The ice prevents the mixture from cooking during processing as the machine will get hot. Be careful not to overmix the mixture, or the patties will become light in color and lose their beautiful caramelized color when cooked. You can offset the loss of color with a bit of thick or dark soy sauce in the marinade.

Alternatively, you can go the traditional route and beat the pork mixture by hand. I like to throw the pork mixture against the bottom of the mixing bowl repeatedly. However, this is really time-consuming and tiring.

Side note: You can buy pork paste at the store rather than making your own. It is called Giò Sống. It’s typically located in the freezer aisle of many Vietnamese grocery stores. Buuuut, and it’s a big but. It’s already seasoned so you won’t be able to use it for this recipe or you will have to adjust the seasonings.

Related Posts

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy these other famous Northern Vietnamese dishes and drinks:

• Hanoi Fried Fish with Turmeric and Dill (Chả Cá Lã Vọng)
• Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
• Hanoi Beef Noodle Soup with Wok-Seared Steak and Fried Garlic (Phở Tái Lăn)
• Hanoi Noodle Soup with Ham, Chicken and Shrimp (Bún Thang)

Popular Vietnamese Recipes

Or try these popular recipes on the blog:

• Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce (Gỏi Cuốn)
• Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc)
• Lemongrass Roast Chicken (Gà Nướng)
• Vietnamese Coconut Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà)
• Braised Ginger Chicken (Gà Kho Gừng)

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