How to make Bún chả

Ingredients

• 500 g minced pork (not too lean)
• 300 g pork belly, sliced thinly
• 3 shallots and 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce and 2 tablespoons sugar, for the marinade
• 1 tablespoon oil and plenty of black pepper
• For the dipping sauce: 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 4 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons lime juice or rice vinegar, 400 ml warm water, 1 clove garlic and 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 1 carrot and a small piece of green papaya or daikon, thinly sliced
• 400 g dried rice vermicelli
• Lettuce, mint, coriander and Thai basil to serve

Method

1. Mix the shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, oil and pepper. Stir half into the minced pork and half into the sliced pork belly, and leave for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. For the sauce, stir the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and warm water until the sugar dissolves. Add the garlic, chilli and the sliced carrot and papaya.
3. Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes (follow the packet), rinse in cold water and drain well.
4. Shape the minced pork into small flat patties. Grill the patties and pork belly over charcoal or under a hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through with no pink left.
5. Put the hot meat into bowls of the dipping sauce. Serve with the noodles and a big plate of lettuce and herbs, so everyone can dip them in.