-Ground Pork -Garlic -Shallot -Lemongrass -Honey -Fish Sauce -Salt -Pepper -Lime Juice -Water
-Red Chili Pepper -Sugar -Carrot -Rice Vermicelli Noodles -Butter Lettuce -Mint -Cucumber
First, prepare the aromatics for the meatballs. Mince cloves of garlic, shallots, and lemongrass.
Add the garlic, shallots, and lemongrass to a bowl with ground pork, honey, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients together then set the mixture aside for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge so the flavors can blend.
Shape the mixture into small meatballs, and then gently flatten them a bit. To help divide the mixture evenly, first, dive the meat into four equal pieces, then divide each quarter into five pieces to yield 20 meatballs.
Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the meatballs to the hot skillet in a single layer. Cook the meatballs until they are golden and caramelized, around 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set the cooked meatballs aside.
For the sauce, whisk together lime juice, water, fish sauce, garlic, red chili, sugar, and some thinly sliced carrots (optional garnish). Taste the sauce and adjust the ingredients to your preference.
Prepare the vermicelli noodles according to package instructions (they usually require cooking for 2-3 minutes in a pot of boiling water). Drain the noodles and set them aside.
Prepare the rest of the vegetables for your bowls. Slice a cucumber, slice a carrot into matchsticks, pull a handful of mint leaves from the stems, and wash some tender lettuce.
Build the Bún chả bowls by adding the rice vermicelli noodles to a bowl along with some lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and Bún chả. Dip the Bún chả into the sauce, or drizzle a little over the bowl.