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–+ servings
bun cha vietnamese pork patties on salad

Bún Chả - Vietnamese Pork Patties

Rebecca Lindamood
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Fragrant, explosively flavorful, and fast enough to whip up on tightly scheduled nights, this vibrant Vietnamese inspired pork patties salad is deeply satisfying without weighing you down. The super fresh salad laden with crisp vegetables, invigorating herbs, and delicately chewy rice noodles acts as a light counterpoint to the succulent, savoury, meaty grilled pork patties.

Ingredients
  

FOR THE NUOC CHAM:

  • 3 tablespoons white sugar for clearest sauce or raw sugar (for best flavour)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 birds eye chili pepper seeded and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced

FOR THE PORK PATTIES:

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 6 green onions thinly sliced, or a small shallot, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons raw sugar or granulated white sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste optional

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 8 ounces rice vermicelli or flat rice noodles See Notes
  • 8 cups spring greens or torn butter or Boston lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded or julienned carrot
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves See Notes!
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 English cucumber thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler
  • Sriracha optional

Instructions
 

TO MAKE THE NUOC CHAM

  • Mix all of the ingredients together and set aside. You can double or triple this recipe and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

TO MAKE THE PORK PATTIES

  • Use your hands or a mix-and-chop to mix all of the patty ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Divide the pork mixture into 12 equal sized portions, roll into balls, and set them on a plate. Slightly flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick patties.

TO PREPARE THE GRILL/GRILL PAN/AIR FRYER

  • IF USING A CHARCOAL GRILL (preferred method): Completely open bottom vent. In half of the grill, start 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes. Set cooking grate in place. When coals are partially ash covered, proceed.
  • IF USING A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
  • IF USING A GRILL PAN: Brush lightly with cooking oil and place over medium high heat.
  • IF USING AN AIR FRYER: Preheat air fryer for 10 minutes at 400ºF.
  • Oil cooking grate/pan/or air fryer.

COOK PATTIES AS FOLLOWS:

  • IF USING A CHARCOAL GRILL: Cook directly over coals, covered, with the lid valve open completely for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until well charred.
  • IF USING A GAS GRILL: Cook on the grate, covered, for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until well charred.
  • IF USING A GRILL PAN: Cook over medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until well charred.
  • IF USING AN AIR FRYER: Air fry in a single layer without crowding the air fryer basket for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, or until charred in places. You may need to do this in batches, depending on your air fryer's size.
  • Transfer the cooked patties to the bowl with nuoc cham and gently toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:

  • Divide the salad greens between 4 plates OR pile onto a serving platter. Tear the cilantro and mint over the greens. Pile the grated carrots and rice noodles on top of the greens (dividing between plates if serving individually). Use tongs to lift the patties from the sauce and arrange them on the plate. Serve with the nuoc cham and optional sriracha for drizzling over each serving.

Notes

Please cook your rice noodles according to package instructions and rinse thoroughly with cold water until very chilled. Allow them to drain completely and air dry while you prepare your pork patties and salad. 
 
You can include some delicate/thin cilantro stems, but please do not use woody, thick stems.

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 25gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1771mgPotassium: 906mgFiber: 5gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 11698IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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