Vietnamese adventures

This is still a work in progress but I will keep at it because it is ideal for a dinner party with friends: Vietnamese grilled pork with rice vermicelli and herbs/vegetables (Bun Cha), and Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (Goi Cuon). I've never been to Vietnam and have only been two or three times to a Vietnamese restaurant, so this is just me reading, watching videos, and trying to make something that tastes good - not claiming any sort of authenticity.

My source for the Bun Cha is a Saveur recipe which I have made a few times already: Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli. I followed that recipe to the letter, except that I use pork tenderloin, which I thinly slice and then grill on a cast iron grill pan, and, when it comes to the herbs, I don't have access to Vietnamese herbs or even mint that I think can be included in this dish. I also cook a larger quantity of rice vermicelli - about one pound for two people - and note that we also need cooked noodles for the spring rolls.

For the fresh spring rolls I followed this recipe: Goi cuon and accompanying youtube video. [Incidentally, this youtube channel (Helen's Recipes) seems to be an excelent resource for Vietnamese food.] Again, I followed this recipe almost to the letter, except that I boiled the shrimp in a vegetable both and then peeled it. I used the smaller rice paper (16cm), but I can see how the 22 cm can be a better choice. Assembling the rolls is a bit tricky, and the ratio of vegetables/herbs to shrimp/pork belly is something that is fun to play with.

All in all, fun to make and fun to eat - to revisit in the near future.