Bún Bowl with Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• 1 lb Pork Shoulder, sliced thin
• 6 oz rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 cup Cucumber, julienned
• 1 Carrot, julienned
• Big handful mint + cilantro
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts
• Marinade: 2 tbsp fish sauce + 1 tbsp brown sugar + 2 cloves garlic + 1 tsp oil
• Nước chấm: 3 tbsp fish sauce + 3 tbsp lime juice + 2 tbsp sugar + ½ cup water + 1 minced chili
• Fried shallots (optional)

Method

1. Marinate the Pork Shoulder in the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and oil for 15 minutes — sugar in the marinade is what chars into those lacquered edges.
2. Stir the nước chấm together until the sugar dissolves. Taste: salty, sour, sweet, spicy, in that order of argument. Adjust until they all get along.
3. Cook the vermicelli per the package, rinse under COLD water, and drain well — bún is served cool; the temperature contrast with hot meat is the dish.
4. Sear the Pork Shoulder over high heat in a little oil until charred at the edges and cooked through, 3–4 minutes (160°F for pork).
5. Build the bowls: noodles, raw vegetables, herbs, then the hot Pork Shoulder on top. Scatter peanuts and shallots, pour nước chấm over everything at the table, and toss before eating. The mixing IS the ceremony.