This Mekong-style plate pairs delicate woven rice bánh hỏi with lemongrass-marinated grilled pork. The warm rice sheets are brushed with scallion oil and served with fresh herbs, cucumber and a sweet-sour fish-sauce dip. A Cần Thơ serving is documented with grilled pork and herbs; bánh hỏi has many regional pairings, so this is one home version rather than a claim of a single origin.
This Mekong-style plate pairs delicate woven rice bánh hỏi with lemongrass-marinated grilled pork. The warm rice sheets are brushed with scallion oil and served with fresh herbs, cucumber and a sweet-sour fish-sauce dip. A Cần Thơ serving is documented with grilled pork and herbs; bánh hỏi has many regional pairings, so this is one home version rather than a claim of a single origin.
Mix the lemongrass, 25 ml fish sauce, shallot, 10 g garlic, 25 g sugar, 15 ml oil and black pepper. Coat the pork steaks, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to 12 hours. Keep raw pork and marinade separate from ready-to-eat foods.
To make the dip, dissolve 35 g sugar in 150 ml warm water. Stir in 30 ml fish sauce and 45 ml lime juice, then add 8 g garlic and optional chilli. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Prepare the dried bánh hỏi exactly as directed on the package, using gentle soaking or steaming as specified. Carefully separate and lift the woven sheets; keep them warm and covered. Ordinary loose rice vermicelli does not have the same woven-sheet form.
Put the sliced scallions and 1 g salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat 30 ml oil until shimmering but not smoking, pour it over the scallions and stir. Let it cool slightly, then brush a thin layer over the warm bánh hỏi so the sheets stay supple and separate.
Heat a clean grill or grill pan to medium-high. Remove excess marinade from the pork and discard the used marinade. Grill the steaks, turning as needed, until browned and the thickest part reaches at least 63°C. Rest on a clean plate for 3 minutes, then slice across the grain.
Arrange the warm bánh hỏi on four plates and brush lightly with scallion oil. Add the sliced pork, lettuce, mint, Thai basil, cilantro and cucumber. Serve the fish-sauce dip in separate bowls.
Eat by pairing a piece of bánh hỏi with pork and herbs, then dipping it in the sweet-sour fish sauce. Wrap the components in lettuce if you like.
Refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C. Store pork and rice sheets separately from fresh herbs, use within 3 days and reheat cooked pork to 74°C.
Dried bánh hỏi packages differ in thickness and preparation. Follow the specific label for soaking, steaming or cooking, and stop as soon as the woven sheets are tender and flexible. Keep them covered while you grill. If fresh bánh hỏi is available, steam it just until hot and supple, then brush it with scallion oil. The pork can marinate for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. The dipping sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered and chilled. Cut the cucumber and wash the herbs shortly before serving; keep them separate from raw pork and its marinade.
The rice sheets stick together: separate them gently while warm and brush with a little scallion oil. The bánh hỏi breaks when lifted: it may be overcooked or cold; follow the package directions and keep it covered and warm. The pork is dry: use steaks of even thickness, remove them as soon as they reach 63°C and give them the full 3-minute rest. The dip tastes too sharp or salty: stir in a little warm water; add lime or sugar in small amounts to rebalance it.
Can I use regular rice vermicelli instead of bánh hỏi? It will taste different and will not have the delicate woven-sheet texture. If you cannot find bánh hỏi, use package-labelled dried bánh hỏi or fresh woven sheets when available. Is bánh hỏi thịt nướng originally from the Mekong Delta? Bánh hỏi is eaten in many regions, and its origin is discussed in the sources. This recipe describes a Mekong-style serving of woven rice sheets with grilled pork, herbs and fish sauce.
Contains pork and fish through the fish sauce. The specified bánh hỏi is rice-based and has no egg or dairy ingredient, but check packaged noodles for wheat, soy, other allergens and cross-contact. Marinate pork covered in the refrigerator and keep it separate from herbs and ready-to-eat food. Discard marinade that touched raw pork; use clean utensils and a clean plate for grilled meat. Cook whole-muscle pork to at least 63°C and rest for 3 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C, use within 3 days and reheat pork to 74°C.
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