Bún Chả

Ingredients · for 2 (scales to your household)

• 300 g Ground pork $3.63
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce (patties) $0.09
• 2 tsp Sugar (patties) $0.01
• 0.33 cup Green onions, chopped $0.78
• 1 clove Garlic, minced (patties) $0.03
• 1 pinch White pepper $0.00
• 1 pinch Salt $0.00
• 2 tsp Lemongrass paste (optional) $0.24
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil (absorbed) $0.08
• 3 tbsp Sugar (nuoc cham) $0.05
• 3 tbsp Fish sauce (nuoc cham) $0.28
• 2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar $0.21
• 2 tbsp Lime juice $0.41
• 0.33 cup Water (nuoc cham) $0.00
• 1 whole Bird's eye chili, seeded and chopped $0.25
• 3 clove Garlic, finely chopped (nuoc cham) $0.09
• 100 g Dried rice vermicelli noodles (cooked for serving) $1.10
• 1 handful Bean sprouts not counted
• 1 head Lettuce leaves $2.79
• 1 whole Carrot, julienned $0.17
• 0.5 whole Daikon, julienned (optional) $1.25
• 1 handful Fresh cilantro not counted
• 1 handful Fresh mint $0.01
• 1 whole Lime wedges (optional) $0.84

Per-ingredient cost is the amount this recipe uses at the lowest Canadian price we have on file; the per-serving total above adds the range up to the dearest price and for buying whole packages. A line marked not counted is one we couldn't measure from the amount as written — it is missing from the total, not free.

Method

1. Whisk the nuoc cham (sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, water, chili, garlic) and rest 10+ minutes.
2. Soak vermicelli in boiling water per package, then drain.
3. Mix the pork with fish sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, white pepper, salt, and optional lemongrass; shape into ~6 small patties.
4. Heat oil over medium-high and cook patties ~2.5 minutes per side until caramelized and cooked through.
5. Assemble bowls of noodles, herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrot, and daikon; top with patties and ladle generous nuoc cham over.