Vietnamese Pork Skewers ~ Bun Cha
My Vietnamese pork skewers are made with fresh ingredients, a bright flavor combination from the fresh and pickled vegetables, and a zesty marinade on the pork belly. Serve with rice noodles and lots of spring roll dipping sauce for a perfect dinner.
Equipment
- 4 large metal or presoaked bamboo skewers
Ingredients
For the pork and marinade
- 3 to 5 shallots, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stalk (3 ounce) lemongrass, minced
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, plus more for cooking
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds pork belly (not too fatty)
For the noodles
- 7 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 4 1/4 cups (1 liter) water
- Salt
To serve
- 16 butter lettuce leaves
- 12 tia to Vietnamese perilla leaves (or substitute basil)
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 cup sliced cucumber
- 2/3 cup pickled carrots
- 2/3 cup pickled onions
- 16 sprigs fresh cilantro
- Spring roll dipping sauce, for serving
Instructions
Make the pork and marinade
- In a medium bowl, combine shallots, garlic, and lemongrass. Stir in fish sauce, sugar, 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, and pepper.
- Pat meat dry with paper towels, remove the layer of fat and cut meat into 1/2-inch thick (12-mm) slices. Add pork to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
- Thread marinated pork onto four skewers, leaving some space between each slice.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat some sunflower oil and cook pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), about 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook them directly on a grill, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Prepare the noodles
- While the pork is cooking, fill a large saucepan with 4 1/4 cups cold water. Add noodles, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook according to package directions. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse in cold water.
Serve the pork skewers
- Serve skewers with noodles, lettuce, tia to, mint, cucumbers, pickled carrots, pickled onions, cilantro, and spring roll dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1115kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 86g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Monounsaturated Fat: 44g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1626mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g