How to make Hanoi Bun Cha with rich, authentic flavor, extremely simple and delicious like a restaurant
Mentioning Hanoi, people immediately remember the long-standing culinary culture with delicious dishes such as Trang Tien ice cream, com (young rice flakes), bun thang (rice vermicelli soup), bun oc (snail noodle soup),… and it is impossible not to mention the famous Hanoi Bun Cha, renowned both domestically and internationally. Join Dien May XANH to make this delicious dish right away!
1. Hanoi Bun Cha
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Cooking
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Hanoi Bun Cha Serves 4
Fresh Vermicelli Noodles 1 kg Pork Belly 700 gr Ground Pork 500 gr Carrot 1 Green Papaya 1/2 Herbs 500 gr (Lettuce/Perilla/Basil/Mint/Fish Mint) Minced Shallot 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic 1.5 tablespoons Minced Chili A little Oyster Sauce 2 tablespoons Honey 3 tablespoons Caramel Sauce 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce 1 cup (about 220ml) Vinegar 1/2 cup (about 100ml) Cooking Oil A little Common Spices A little (Salt/ Sugar/ Ground Pepper/ Seasoning Powder/ MSG)
Equipment
How to choose delicious green papaya
- You should choose large but still green papayas, which feel firm to the touch and heavy when held.
- Fresh and delicious papayas are those with stems that still have sap, as these papayas have few seeds, thick flesh, and are plentiful. Prioritize choosing newly harvested beak-shaped papayas because the flesh will be crispy, not soft.
- Avoid buying papaya on rainy days as it will affect the quality and sweet taste of the papaya.
How to make Hanoi Bun Cha
- 1
Prepare and marinate the meat
For pork belly, rub it with salt to remove dirt and odor, then rinse with cold water and drain. Cut the meat into thin slices.
Marinate the meat with 1/2 tablespoon minced shallot, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon MSG, 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon caramel sauce, then mix well and let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For the ground pork, add 1/2 tablespoon minced shallot, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon MSG, 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper, 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon caramel sauce. Mix well by hand and marinate the meat for about 30 minutes to absorb the spices.
After about 30 minutes, take an appropriate amount of ground meat and roll it into balls.
- 2
Prepare other ingredients
To remove sap and dirt, peel the carrots and papaya, then soak them in diluted salt water for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse with water and drain.
Carve the carrots into flower shapes, then thinly slice the carrots and papaya and put them in a bowl. Add 1/3 tablespoon of salt to the bowl and mix well, marinate for about 15 minutes, then rinse the carrots and papaya with water.
Add 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, mix well, and marinate for another 15 minutes.
- 3
Grill the meat
Brush a thin layer of cooking oil on the electric grill, arrange the pork belly and meatballs on top. Grill the meat until golden brown on both sides, then remove to a plate.
- 4
Make fish sauce dipping sauce
Place a pot on the stove, add almost 1 cup of fish sauce (about 200ml), almost 1 cup of sugar (about 200gr), 1/2 cup of vinegar (about 100ml), and 2 cups of water, and cook over high heat until the spices are completely dissolved and the fish sauce starts to boil, then turn off the heat. Adjust the seasoning to your family’s taste!
- 5
Finished Product
Arrange the grilled meat, vermicelli noodles, and herbs on a plate. Put pickled carrots and papaya and a little minced chili in a bowl, then add the just-cooked sugar and fish sauce and mix well to complete.
With just a few simple steps, we’ve made a fragrant and appealing Hanoi Bun Cha dish that’s no less impressive than what you’d find at a restaurant. When eating, fold a little grilled meat, vermicelli noodles, and herbs into a bowl of fish sauce and enjoy. The meat has a rich flavor, fragrant with lemongrass and onion, eaten with sweet and sour fish sauce, herbs, and pickles to balance the taste, making you want to keep eating non-stop. Hurry to the kitchen and try this dish!
Product Information:
- You can use a 2000W electric grill to make this dish. The grill surface is coated with a granite non-stick layer, making it safe and easy to clean after use. The temperature control knob has a simple design and is easy to adjust.
- Currently, the price of electric grills ranges from 500,000 to 1,700,000 VND (price updated in June 2022).
How to choose fresh and delicious pork
For whole pieces of pork (pork belly, shoulder,..):
- First, pay attention to the color. The color of good meat is bright pink, not too red or too pale. Meat that is pale, greenish, and has a foul odor is spoiled, you should not choose this type of meat.
- Pork that is firm and elastic is good meat. You can test this by pressing your finger into the meat; if it springs back immediately, is not sticky, and does not leak water or fluid, it’s good.
For ground pork:
- You can buy pork and grind it yourself with a meat grinder or buy pre-ground pork as in this recipe!
- With pre-ground pork, you should buy it from reputable stores and supermarkets.
- Choose marbled pork or shoulder meat that has both lean and fat to grind, so that your dish is not dry or too fatty.
How to choose delicious carrots
- Choose carrots that are straight, have smooth skin, bright color, feel firm, hard, and heavy in your hand, as these are the good ones, rich in vitamins.
- Choose carrots with a small core, because the smaller the core, the sweeter the carrot.
- You should not choose carrots with leaves or stems at the base, or those with a thick, large shoulder, as these are usually carrots with a large core, are not sweet, and have fewer nutrients.
- Do not buy carrots that are misshapen, dark in color, bruised, or have wilted or bruised leaves.
How to prepare pork cleanly and without odor
- To completely remove the odor from pork, before preparing the dish, briefly blanch the meat in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then remove and rinse with cold water.
- Another useful tip is to add a little white wine to the water used to blanch the pork. Alcohol is extremely effective at removing odors.
- Use lemon, vinegar, salt, or ginger to rub the pork and leave it for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse with water.
Tips for Success
- If you want to use this dish for breakfast, you can marinate the meat and prepare the fish sauce the night before and store it in the refrigerator. When using, just take it out and reheat.
- If you don’t use all of the fish sauce, you can put it in a tightly covered jar and store it at room temperature (use within the day) or in the refrigerator (for about 1 week).
With just these simple steps, you can enjoy delicious and nutritious Hanoi Bun Cha at home, just as attractive as what you’d find at a restaurant. Good luck!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lY4DoQYR2k
Truc Nguyen
