Barbecued Honey Lemongrass Pork Skewers

– BUN THIT NUONG –

VIETNAM

I remember walking along the little alleys of the Old Quarter just before lunchtime on my first day in Hanoi. I had no idea what to eat, and was quite literally following my nose. There were tempting smells and sights all around me, but the smoky aroma of juicy charred chunks of pork crackling over tiny charcoal pits quite easily made bun thit nuong the first thing I ate there. Pork neck is marinated in a sauce that’s sweet, salty and fragrant with lemongrass, then stuffed between the sides of a wire mesh barbecue basket and set over a charcoal fire. The crispy grilled pork is then served with rice noodles, raw herbs and vegetables and nuoc cham. The southerners do it differently by assembling the bowl for you, but I loved how I had it in the north; you get to combine the flavours and textures of the separate ingredients and build every bite yourself.

Serves 4

• 500g pork neck or shoulder
• 300g rice vermicelli
• ½ a cucumber, julienned
• ½ a carrot, julienned or pickled (see here)

For the marinade

• 1 stalk of lemongrass, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons runny honey
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil

You will also need

• 12 wooden skewers

To serve

• fresh herbs: mint leaves, hot mint (laska leaves), coriander and sweet basil leaves (any or all)
• a handful of crushed roasted peanuts
• nuoc cham (see here)

1. Cut (or get your butcher to cut) the pork shoulder into bite-size 2cm cubes.
2. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and stir in the pork, making sure everything is well combined. Leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour, or preferably overnight. Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water to stop them burning on the grill or in the oven later.
3. When about ready to cook, fire up your barbecue, or preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Thread the pork on to the skewers and grill on a high heat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and charred. Alternatively, cook them in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the oven to the ‘grill’ setting and grill until lightly charred, flipping the skewers midway.
4. Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and pour boiling water over. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes, or until soft and cooked, then drain and rinse.
5. Divide the rice noodles between bowls and top with the cucumber, carrots and herbs. Scatter crushed peanuts over and serve with the pork skewers and nuoc cham. Let your guests add the sauce to their own bowls and help themselves to more herbs as they like.