Bun Cha
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Bun Cha

Bun cha, a popular minced pork patty dish from Hanoi, is easy to make. Traditionally, these pork patties are prepared with homemade Vietnamese caramel but you can use shop-bought caramel or maple syrup for simplicity.
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Serves
4
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
700g of minced (ground) pork shoulder
200g of dried rice vermicelli noodles
FOR THE MARINADE
1 generous tbsp of maple syrup or Vietnamese caramel
2 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
1.5 tbsp of fish sauce (gluten-free brands are available)
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
½ tsp of black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
70ml of lime juice
1 tbsp of sugar (more or less to taste)
1 cup of water
3 tbsp of fish sauce (gluten-free brands are available)
1.5 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
½ carrot, grated
½ green papaya, grated
TO SERVE
Herbs such as coriander & mint
Green or red chillies, thinly sliced (optional)
Soft lettuce
Method
Step 1

Place all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl with the minced pork and mix well with your hands. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish (or overnight).

Step 2

In another bowl, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Step 3

When ready to cook, place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. They should become soft in about 10 minutes, but please refer to the instructions on the side of the packet.

Step 4

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and divide the pork into large or small patties – the choice is yours, as both are served in Vietnam. Fry the patties until cooked through.

Step 5

Divide the rice noodles between four bowls and serve topped with the pork patties, some of the dipping sauce, herbs, chillies (if using) and lettuce.

Step 6

Serve at the table with more dipping sauce and dig in.

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Photography: Kris Kirkham

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