I always know my husband has a BIG head.

Hanoi-style grilled pork with vermicelli (Bún chả Hà Nội)

(Adapted from Danang cuisine and Vicky Pham)

A. Grilled pork

500 g pork belly (thinly sliced)
500 g ground pork
2 shallots (minced)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
3 tbs fish sauce
3 tbs oyster sauce
2 tbs caramel sauce

B. Dipping sauce

1 carrot (peeled, thinly sliced)
1/2 cabbage turnip, or 1/2 jicama, or 1 small piece of green papaya (thinly sliced)
2 tsp salt
2 tbs vinegar
1 tbs sugar
150 g sugar
1 1/2 cup hot water
12 tbs fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 Thai chili (minced, optional)
Ground pepper

C. To serve

1/2 package of dried vermicelli
Fresh vegetables (lettuce, cilantro, perilla, etc.)
Sliced cucumber, optional

To make grilled pork

1. In a small bowl, mix minced shallot, minced garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and caramel sauce.
2. Use 1/2 sauce mixture to marinate ground pork.
3. Use the remaining mixture to marinate sliced pork belly.
4. Before serving, grill meat on charcoal.

To make dipping sauce

1. In a small bowl, add 2 tsp salt to sliced carrot and cabbage turnips/jicama/green papaya. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse carrot and cabbage turnips/jicama/green papaya and dry.
3. Add 2 tbs vinegar + 1 tbs sugar. Set aside for 1 hour.
4. In a large bowl, mix 150 g sugar with 1 1/2 cup hot water until dissolved.
5. Add fish sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, and minced chili if using.
6. Add carrot and cabbage mixture in (2).
7. Add ground pepper.

To assemble:

1. Serve grilled meat with fresh vegetables, cooked vermicelli, and dipping sauce.