Bún chả (Vietnamese pork patties with rice noodles)

Step 1/4

• 350 g ground pork
• ½ shallot
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 scallions
• ½ Thai chili
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oil

• cutting board
• knife
• bowl

Peel and finely chop garlic and shallot. Slice spring onion and Thai chili into fine rings. Thoroughly mix ground meat with a large portion of garlic, shallot, spring onions, fish sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon, and oil. Set mixture aside in a bowl and let it marinate for approx. 30 min.—for a more intense flavor, the longer, the better.

Step 2/4

• ¼ carrot
• ¼ kohlrabi
• 125 g salad
• 1½ sprigs cilantro
• 1½ sprigs mint
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

• bowl

Chop carrot and kohlrabi into fine, small slices and add them to a bowl with vinegar and sugar for marinating for approx. 10 min. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Pluck cilantro and mint from stems.

Step 3/4

• 200 g vermicelli

• oven
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• pot
• sieve
• cooking spoon

Form marinated ground meat mixture into bite-sized patties and bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in preheated oven at 200°C/392°F top/bottom heat for approx. 15–20 min. until golden brown. Meanwhile, cook vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.

Step 4/4

• 60 g fish sauce
• ½ lime
• 1 tsp sugar
• 60 g water (warm)

• bowl

For Dressing, stir fish sauce, water, sugar, lime juice, Thai chili, and remaining garlic in a bowl until sugar is completely dissolved. Finally, arrange all components together and serve.

Enjoy your meal!