Bun thit nuong – rice noodles with grilled pork Recipe
Bun thit nuong is a bowl full of contrasts: warm, spice-scented pork, cool rice noodles, crunchy vegetables and fresh herbs. Everything is topped with a light, sweet-and-sour fish-sauce-based dressing that ties all the flavours together. In Vietnam it’s a popular quick lunch on hot days, because it’s filling but not heavy.
Bun thit nuong jest popularne w południowym Wietnamie jako lekkie danie na upał, łączące makaron, grillowane mięso i świeże zioła w jednej misce. Często podaje się je z nuoc cham, tym samym sosem, który towarzyszy też sajgonkom.
This dish combines the freshness of a salad with the comfort of a warm noodle bowl. The contrast between hot grilled pork, cool noodles and crisp vegetables, all tied together with a bright fish-sauce dressing, makes it satisfying yet light.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Użycie schabu zamiast karkówki daje cienkie, równe plastry, które łatwo usmażyć na patelni.
- Mocne podsmażenie cienkich plastrów odtwarza dymny, uliczny charakter bez grilla.
- Osobno przygotowany, dobrze zbalansowany sos pozwala doprawić każdą miskę indywidualnie.
- Chłodny, dokładnie przepłukany makaron utrzymuje kontrast temperatur i tekstur.
Chef's tips
Slice the pork as thinly as you can – it marinates faster and cooks quickly without drying out. If you have time, marinate the meat overnight; the flavour will be deeper and the texture more tender.
How to serve
Serve with extra lime wedges and chili on the side so everyone can adjust the acidity and heat. A small bowl of clear broth or miso-style soup makes a nice starter if you want a more complete meal.
Na co uważać
- Nie kroj mięsa z włóknem – plastry będą twarde; zawsze tnij w poprzek włókien.
- Zbyt krótko przepłukany makaron będzie się kleił i wchłonie sos nierównomiernie.
- Jeśli wrzucisz za dużo mięsa na raz, zacznie się gotować we własnym soku zamiast rumienić.
Ingredients
- schab wieprzowy - 600 g
- czosnek - 4 ząbek
- trawa cytrynowa - 2 łodyga
- cukier - 2 łyżka
- sos rybny - 4 łyżka
- sos sojowy - 2 łyżka
- olej roślinny - 3 łyżka
- makaron ryżowy cienki - 300 g
- sałata - 1 główka
- ogórek - 1 szt
- marchew - 1 szt
- kiełki fasoli mung - 100 g
- mięta świeża - 1 pęczek
- kolendra świeża - 0.5 pęczek
- orzeszki ziemne - 50 g
- limonka - 1 szt
- woda - 120 ml
- ocet ryżowy lub sok z limonki - 2 łyżka
- papryczka chili - 1 szt
- czosnek - 1 ząbek
- cukier - 1.5 łyżka
- sos rybny - 3 łyżka
Preparation
- In a bowl, mix 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, the chopped garlic and lemongrass.
- Add the pork slices, mix thoroughly with your hands so every piece is coated in the marinade, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2–3 hours in the fridge).
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl and leave for 8–10 minutes until softened, then drain and rinse with cold water so they don’t stick together.
- Prepare the vegetables: tear the lettuce into pieces, cut the cucumber into thin sticks, grate or cut the carrot into thin strips, rinse and dry the sprouts.
- In a small bowl make the sauce: mix the water, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1.5 tablespoons sugar, the rice vinegar or lime juice, chopped chili and pressed garlic clove, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan or on a grill. Fry the pork slices in batches over fairly high heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through in the centre.
- Put a handful of lettuce in the bottom of each bowl, then add a portion of rice noodles on top.
- Add cucumber, carrot, sprouts, mint leaves and coriander.
- Place the hot pork on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Pour 2–3 tablespoons of sauce over each bowl and serve the remaining sauce on the side so everyone can add more to taste. Before eating, mix everything well in the bowl.
Storage
Store the components separately: noodles, vegetables, meat and sauce in separate containers in the fridge. Reheat the meat quickly in a pan before serving and assemble fresh bowls so the vegetables stay crunchy.
I like to keep extra herbs on the table – especially mint and coriander – so each person can add a big handful to their bowl. The more herbs, the closer the taste gets to what you’d find in a small Vietnamese street stall.
