Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Lemongrass Pork Noodle Bowls)

Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Lemongrass Pork Noodle Bowls)

from foodandwine.com
Dinner
135 min
6 servings
335 kcal / serving

Bún Thịt Nướng features smoky grilled lemongrass pork served over rice noodles with fresh herbs, crisp vegetables, and a tangy nước chấm sauce — an aromatic, vibrant Vietnamese classic perfect for warm-weather meals.

Ingredients

  • 2boneless pork shoulder steaks (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
  • ¼ cupfish sauce (preferably red boat)
  • 2 tablespoonsneutral cooking oil (such as canola oil), plus more for grilling
  • 2 tablespoonsfinely chopped garlic (about 6 cloves)
  • 2 tablespoonsfinely chopped lemongrass (about 1 stalk)
  • 1 ½ tablespoonsgranulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoonblack pepper
  • 1 cupwater
  • ⅓ cupgranulated sugar
  • ⅓ cupdistilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cupfish sauce (preferably red boat)
  • 1garlic clove, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1red thai chile, finely chopped (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • ¼ cupplus 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • ⅓ cupgranulated sugar
  • ⅓ cupwater
  • 2 ½ teaspoonskosher salt
  • 10 ouncesdaikon radish (about 1/2 small radish), peeled and sliced into 4-inch-long matchsticks
  • 4 ouncescarrots (about 2 carrots), peeled and sliced into 4-inch-long matchsticks
  • ¾ cupthinly sliced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
  • 1package rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • lettuce; fresh basil, mint, and shiso (perilla) leaves; sliced cucumbers; and tương ớt (vietnamese hot chile sauce) (such as cholimex), for serving
  • ¼ cupchopped unsalted roasted peanuts, for garnish

Directions

  1. 1

    Make the pork Cut pork steaks into 1-inch cubes for skewers or in half crosswise. Place pork shoulder, fish sauce, oil, garlic, lemongrass, sugar, and black pepper in a large ziplock plastic bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal bag; gently massage fish sauce mixture into pork. Place bag on a plate or tray; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for 1-inch pieces. For halved steaks, refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

  2. 2

    Make the nước chấm Bring 1 cup water, sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, and stir in garlic and chile. Transfer to an airtight heatproof container; chill until ready to use.

  3. 3

    Make the pickled vegetables Bring vinegar, sugar, 1/3 cup water, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in radish, carrots, and onion; cover and let stand until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir again, gently. Let stand 1 hour, or store in refrigerator until ready to use.

  4. 4

    Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Remove pork from marinade. For skewers, thread 3 to 4 pieces on 6-inch skewers. Place skewers on oiled grates, and grill, covered, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until pork is lightly charred and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. (For halved steaks, grill, uncovered, until lightly charred and a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 145°F, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping occasionally. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice steak into strips.)

  5. 5

    Serve pork with noodles, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, chile sauce, and pickled vegetables. Drizzle with nước chấm. (Serve remaining sauce on the side.) Garnish with peanuts.