There's a reason bun thit nuong turns up on nearly every Vietnamese takeaway menu around Australia – it's the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, tangy and fresh, all in one big bowl. Thin slices of pork shoulder soak up a caramel-y marinade before hitting a hot grill, then get piled on top of cool rice vermicelli with a tangle of herbs, pickled carrot and crunchy peanuts.
This is proper share-plate, cook-at-home food. Once you've got your components prepped – noodles boiled, herbs washed, nuoc cham mixed – the actual cooking takes minutes. It's the kind of dinner where everyone builds their own bowl at the table, which makes it a firm favourite for busy family nights or casual dinners with mates.
Don't stress if you don't have every herb listed – a big handful of whatever's fresh in the fridge will do the job beautifully. The magic really is in that nuoc cham dressing, so don't skip it.
