Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork is well loved and enjoyed all through the region. This easy bbq pork recipe is good with vermicelli and banh mi sandwich. You can put these on skewers or just use a grill pad like I did.
The Best Vietnamese BBQ
Perhaps I am being a bit bias when I say that Vietnamese bbq is the best. But I got reasons when I make this claim.
Us Vietnamese loves to season and marinate our meat. It is full of spices, herbs, and seasoning. For the most part, we don’t have top of the line beef or high quality ingredients like most countries do. However, we do have plenty of fresh herbs and spices and we make good use of them. Combined with the many unique food culture that we have adapted to, such as Chinese, French, Cambodian, Thai, and Laos. Vietnamese food is well loved by all people from all regions of the world.
Vietnam Charcoal Grill Meats
I remembered going back to Vietnam and eating their grilled meats. The grills were traditional charcoal grills which were placed right on our table. It was some of the best bbq I have ever had. The marinated meats were full of flavors. Each with their own distinct spice and taste.
From that experience, I came to love our Vietnamese bbq over charcoal. The lemongrass fragrance that are grilled over charcoal is so addicting! Remembering the flavors and smell, and some pointers from my mom, I made this perfect Grilled Lemongrass Pork recipe. This is perfect for bun thit nuong (vermicelli noodles with bbq pork) and/or banh mi thit nuong (vietnamese bbq pork sandwich). The fish sauce recipe is good for the vermicelli and banh mi too!
How To Make Vietnamese BBQ Lemongrass Pork
This recipe is best grilled over charcoal, but you can just grill with your regular propane bbq grill or in the oven is fine too. Of course, you wont get that smokey grill from grilling with charcoal.
Be sure to use a fatty blend pork cut like pork shoulder or pork butt. If the pork is too lean, the meat will be dry. You will need to add oil to the marinade to keep the meat moist and prevent it from sticking to the grill too much.
For detailed written recipe, be sure to check out my recipe page below.
Happy Cooking!
Bun Thit Nuong
Equipment
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
Marinate Pork
- 2-3 lbs Thinly Sliced Pork Shoulder/Butt
- 2-3 each Lemongrass Finely Minced
- 1 each Garlic cloves Finely Minced
- 1 each Large Shallot Finely Minced
- 2-3 each thai Chili Finely Minced
- 4 tbsp brown/white sugar
- 2 tbsp chicken granulated seasoning or 3 tsp msg
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 6-8 tbsp fish sauce depending on how salty your brand is
- 6 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp 5 spice powder
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp white pepper (optional)
Fish Sauce
- 1 each garlic
- 2 each thai chili
- 1/2 each lime
- 6-8 tsp sugar
- 6-8 tsp fish sauce add more or less depending on how salty your brand of fish sauce is
- 1-2 cup coconut water you can use water if you don't have coconut water. just add more sugar.
Other Condiments
- Vermicelli Noodles (M/L) follow instruction on package to cook your rice noodles.
- Lettuce, mints, and cucumbers chopped
- toasted peanuts coarsely pounded
- green onion with pork lard/fat if you don't have pork fat, use regular oil and fry up chopped green onions.
- pickled daikon and carrots you can follow my other recipe on how to make this simple pickled daikon and carrot.
Instructions
Marinate the Pork
- combine all ingredients EXCEPT the oil. Mix well.Add in the oil and mix well again. You don't want to add in the oil the same time because it will block the pork from absorbing the flavors. Oil is to keep the meat moist.
- Cover and set aside at least 2-3 hours before cooking.Tips: If you are putting in fridge overnight, be sure to take out and leave to rest outside to warm up close to room temperature before cooking (~1hr). This will allow your meat to cook through the center evenly, without it being burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.
- You can skewer these or use a grill clamp to sandwich your meat together for grilling.
Fish Sauce
- In a mortar, add the garlic, chili, and sugar. Pound to a paste and remove to a bowl.
- squeeze in the lime and mix into a paste.
- add in the fish sauce and mix into a paste.
- add in the coconut water/water. Mix until mostly the sugar are dissolved.
- Taste and add in more fish sauce if you want it more salty, add sugar for more sweetness, or coconut water to dilute it out if its too salty or too sweet. adjust to your liking. This fish sauce should be a bit sweeter to go well with the saltiness of the grilled pork. Don't make it too salty.
Putting it all together
- In a bowl:Add rice noodles, pickled daikon and carrots, chopped lettuce, mints, and cucumbers.Add your grilled meat. Add your green onion oil.Add your fish sauce.Add your toasted peanuts.Add some love… and enjoy! 😊
Video
Notes
Chef Q
