Vietnamese Grilled Pork (Bún Thịt Nướng)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbpork, thinly sliced (shoulder or loin)
• rice vermicelli, 1 package, cooked according to instructions
• 5egg rolls, 4–6, to serve
• 3 tbspshallots, minced; corrected to Shallots
• 1 1/2 tbspgarlic, minced
• 1/4 cupsugar
• 1 tbspfish sauce, for marinade; use more to dress the bowl
• 1/2 tbspthick soy sauce, dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tbspblack pepper
• 3 tbspolive oil
• cucumber, sliced, to serve
• mint, fresh leaves, to garnish
• roasted peanuts, crushed, to garnish

Method

1. 1

   Slice the pork thinly, about 3mm thick. Slightly freezing the pork first makes it easier to slice.

2. 2

   Mince the garlic and shallots. Mix in a bowl with the sugar, fish sauce, thick soy sauce, pepper and oil until the sugar dissolves.

3. 3

   Add the pork to the marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Bake the pork for 10–15 minutes until about 80% cooked, then switch to the grill/broiler and cook until a golden brown colour develops, flipping the pieces halfway.

5. 5

   Assemble bowls with cooked vermicelli noodles, cucumber, mint and peanuts. Top with the grilled pork and egg rolls, and drizzle with fish sauce to taste.