Lemongrass Pork Vermicelli Bowls (Bun Thit Xao Xa)

Spring is officially here which means transitioning my food into dishes that are lighter and a tad bit healthier. For me, that is always a vermicelli bowl or Vietnamese noodle salad like bun cha hanoi or bun bo xao. Right now, it is in the 80s where I live. (I know crazy right!). So that’s all I want to eat anyways. My mom made these easy lemongrass pork vermicelli bowls (similar to bun thit nuong) last week, and it tasted so good I knew I had to put them on the blog. It’s the perfect dish for spring because it has all these fresh vegetables paired with the most amazing lemongrass pork!

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Lemongrass pork

• Pork shoulder – I used country style pork ribs for this lemongrass pork which is a cut of pork in the shoulder area, so using pork shoulder works! A good substitute is pork belly.
• Lemongrass – Adds a slight lemon-y taste to the pork and helps balance out the rich and savory flavors. If you don’t have lemongrass, I would use a tablespoon of lime juice and the zest of 1 lime.
• Pepper for seasoning
• Corn starch – Helps make the pork tender and brown. You can also use tapioca starch as a substitute.
• Dark brown sugar – Adds sweetness to the pork and helps make it a pretty brown color. If you don’t have dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar. The pork won’t be as brown if you use light brown sugar, but it should still taste good.
• Fish sauce – Adds umami flavor to the pork.
• Garlic – Adds extra flavor the pork!

Vermicelli bowl

The ingredients below are the ones I use in my vermicelli bowl, but you can use whatever vegetables you want.

• Lettuce – You can use any type of lettuce for the vermicelli bowl. Romaine, green leaf, and red leaf lettuce are a few examples.
• Pickled carrots and daikon – These are optional but they add a nice balance to the rich flavors. Get the recipe for my pickled carrots and daikon here.
• Cucumbers – Another refreshing vegetable to add to your vermicelli bowl! Personally, my favorite cucumbers are Persian cucumbers but use whatever you have available.
• Mint – One of the traditional ingredients in a vermicelli bowl. I usually use green mint but sometimes, I use perilla leaves.
• Vietnamese dipping sauce – This is the “dressing” for this vermicelli bowl. Get the recipe for my Vietnamese dipping sauce here!

Making my lemongrass pork vermicelli bowls

First, marinade your pork! Add all the ingredients from pork through fish sauce to a bowl. Marinate for at least 3 hours, but for the best results, marinate overnight. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Saute the pork for 2-3 minutes until brown on all sides. Lower the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until pork is cooked through.

Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is cooked. Try the pork to make sure the texture is soft enough for you. If it is too chewy, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cover and cook on medium low for another 3-5 minutes until the water becomes a thick sauce. Repeat this process until the pork is soft enough for your tastes. Once done, empty the pork onto a plate and set aside. Add lettuce, carrots, daikon, cucumbers, mint, and vermicelli noodles to a bowl. Top with a few pieces of pork. Drizzle with Vietnamese dipping sauce and serve.

Tips on how to make the perfect lemongrass pork vermicelli bowls

Marinate the pork overnight for the best flavor

The longer the pork sits in the marinade, the better it will taste. I marinated mine for 24 hours, and it tasted AMAZING!

Cook pork over medium high heat

Cooking pork over medium high heat gets you that nice sear/brown color without all the water coming out of the pork. Cooking on a lower heat will cause the water to come out and produce a soggy sauce.

How do you store the lemongrass pork?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

What if I don’t want to make a vermicelli bowl?

If you don’t want a vermicelli bowl, this lemongrass pork can also be eaten with rice or bread!

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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