Grilled Pork Meatball Noodle Bowls (Bun Cha)

Ingredients

• about 450 g Ground Pork
• about 225 g Rice Vermicelli Noodles
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 small Shallots
• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Rice Paper
• 4 cups Lettuce
• 1/4 cup Mint
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 cup Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

Original measure retained: its cup/spoon or fluid-volume standard is unspecified.

Instructions

1. 1Peel and finely mince the 3 cloves of garlic and the 2 small shallots. Break the 2 tbsp of dry rice paper sheets into very small pieces or crumbs. In a large bowl, combine the about 450 g of ground pork, minced garlic, minced shallots, 2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and the prepared rice paper crumbs. Mix thoroughly with your hands until just combined.
2. 2Form the mixture into approximately 2.54 cm (2.5 cm) diameter meatballs. You should have about 16-20 meatballs from the mixture.
3. 3Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the about 225 g of rice vermicelli noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are tender but still firm to the bite. Immediately drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water to prevent sticking, then set aside.
4. 4Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat, reaching 190.6-204.4°C (190-205°C). Place the formed meatballs directly on the grill grates. Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meatballs are deeply browned and slightly charred on all sides, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 71°C.
5. 5While the meatballs grill, thoroughly wash and dry the 4 cups of lettuce, 1/4 cup of mint, and 1/4 cup of cilantro. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces if needed, and pick the mint and cilantro leaves from their stems.
6. 6Divide the cooked and rinsed about 225 g of rice vermicelli noodles evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange the prepared 4 cups of lettuce, 1/4 cup of mint, and 1/4 cup of cilantro around the noodles in each bowl. Top each bowl with an equal portion of the grilled pork meatballs.
7. 7Serve the noodle bowls immediately with the 1/2 cup of Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham) on the side for drizzling over each serving.

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