Bún Chả越南烤肉米線

Prepare the pickled carrots: In a small bowl, combine half of the julienned carrot with half of the water, half of the rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of sugar, and salt. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

Marinate the pork: In a bowl, combine ground pork and pork belly with 4 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, black pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic, minced shallots, minced lemongrass, and 2 tbsp cooking oil. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Form patties and grill: Shape the ground pork mixture into small, flat patties. If using a grill, preheat it to medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates with cooking oil. Grill the pork patties and pork belly slices until cooked through and nicely charred, flipping occasionally. This usually takes 5-7 minutes per side for patties and less for slices.

Cook vermicelli noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add rice vermicelli noodles and cook according to package instructions until tender, usually 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.

Prepare the dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham): In a bowl, combine the remaining water, remaining fish sauce, remaining rice vinegar, remaining 2 tbsp sugar, remaining 3 cloves minced garlic, and sliced bird's eye chilies. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add the remaining julienned carrot from the original large carrot (not the pickled ones).

Assemble and serve: Arrange the cooked vermicelli noodles, grilled pork patties, and pork belly slices on a platter. Serve with a generous amount of fresh lettuce leaves, mint leaves, perilla leaves, cilantro, bean sprouts, pickled carrots, and a bowl of the prepared dipping sauce.