Adam's bun cha

Bun cha is a classic Vietnamese dish that consists of grilled pork patties, rice vermicelli noodles and a spicy dipping sauce. Serve with pickles, mixed herbs and lettuce to bring freshness to the rich savoury flavours of the pork.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 500 g pork mince
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped (white and light green parts)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 200 g dried rice vermicelli noodle
• green oak lettuce, mint and coriander, to serve

For the pickles

• 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• 10 cm daikon, or green papaya cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

For the dipping sauce

• 2 red bird's eye chillies
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ½ cup fish sauce
• black pepper

Marinating time: 30-60 minutes

Instructions

1. For the pickles, in a medium non-reactive bowl, combine the vegetables, sugar, salt and vinegar and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. For the dipping sauce, in a mortar and pestle, pound the chilli and garlic to a coarse paste, then add the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and fish sauce and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Grind in a little black pepper. Dilute with cold water to taste and set aside for at least 10 minutes, preferably an hour.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork mince, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, spring onions, garlic and pepper and stir until well combined. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Heat a frying pan or barbecue grill on low-medium heat. With wet hands, form the pork mixture into small balls about 5 cm in diameter and squash them into thick, flat patties. Add a little oil and cook the patties for 4 minutes, each side, or until well caramelised and cooked through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
4. Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions, then rinse with cold water and drain well. Divide between bowls.
5. Top the rice noodles with the pork patties and serve with lettuce, herbs and pickles. Pour over the dipping sauce.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Pickle Me This

Watch The Full Episode Here

PG

Watch The Full Episode Here

PG