Vietnamese Grilled Pork and Shrimp (Bún Chả Hà Nội)

Introduction

Bún Chả Hà Nội, or Vietnamese Grilled Pork and Shrimp, is a popular and flavorful dish that originated in Hanoi. This dish features grilled pork and shrimp served with vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and a dipping sauce. In this blog post, we'll guide you through the process of making Bún Chả Hà Nội at home.

Ingredients

For the Pork

• 650g pork belly, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons seasoning powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 scallion, chopped into 1cm pieces

For the Shrimp

• 650g shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 scallion, chopped into 1cm pieces

For the Dipping Sauce

• 5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 2.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 chili pepper, minced

For the Noodles

• 1.3kg vermicelli noodles

For the Herbs

• 1kg fresh herbs (lettuce, basil, mint, perilla, cilantro, dill, cucumber)
• 20 shallots, peeled
• 15 scallions, washed

Instructions

Marinating the Pork

Combine the ingredients: In a bowl, combine the sliced pork belly, black pepper, fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, minced shallot, and chopped scallion.

Mix: Mix the ingredients together until well combined.

Marinate: Marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Marinating the Shrimp

Combine the ingredients: In a bowl, combine the peeled and deveined shrimp, black pepper, fish sauce, rice vinegar, oil, minced garlic, minced shallot, and chopped scallion.

Mix: Mix the ingredients together until well combined.

Marinate: Marinate the shrimp for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Making the Dipping Sauce

Combine the ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, sugar, hot water, rice vinegar, black pepper, minced garlic, and minced chili pepper.

Mix: Mix the ingredients until well combined.

Grilling the Pork and Shrimp

Grill the pork: Grill the marinated pork strips over medium heat until cooked through and slightly charred.

Grill the shrimp: Grill the marinated shrimp over medium heat until cooked through and pink.

Preparing the Noodles and Herbs

Cook the noodles: Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions.

Wash the herbs: Wash the fresh herbs and chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the shallots and scallions: Peel the shallots and wash the scallions.

Serving

Arrange the ingredients: Arrange the cooked pork and shrimp on a plate.

Serve with noodles and herbs: Serve the grilled pork and shrimp with the cooked vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and the dipping sauce.

Tips

• For a spicier dipping sauce, add more chili peppers.
• You can also add other vegetables to the dish, such as grilled mushrooms or grilled zucchini.
• Serve the dish with a side of Vietnamese spring rolls (nem rán) for a complete meal.

Enjoy this delicious and authentic Vietnamese grilled pork and shrimp dish!