Mai

Bún bung, bún dọc mùng, or bún bung dọc mùng is a classic Hà Nội dish with an umami pork broth. The star ingredient in the Hà Nội version of this dish, as the second name suggests is dọc mùng (Leucocasia gigantea or Colocasia gigantea), also known as giant elephant ear or Indian taro. In Vietnamese cuisine, the hollow stem of this plant is used in several dishes, particularly soups like canh chua cá, bún cá, and our dish today. It has a mild taste but is mainly used for its spongy texture which soaks up broth.

There is more than one version of this dish, namely in the Thái Bình region where this dish is made with banana flower.

The broth is simple, but umami with a hint of acidity. This dish is a great example of Northern Vietnamese cuisine, which favors subtle natural flavors over heavy spices. This dish is usually made with several cuts of pork, but the two most important ones are ribs, specifically riblets, and ham hock. When you go to a place specializing in this dish, they will usually have a large selection of cuts you can choose from or you can order a special bowl with a bit of everything. At home, you can use just riblets for the simplest version, go with the 2 main cuts: riblets and hocks, or add my other 2 favorites: tongue and mọc- pork meatballs with mushrooms. Depending on which cuts you use or don’t, adjust the quantity as needed.

Traditionally, the souring agent is usually mẻ- made from rice or bún noodles that have been fermented, creating lactic acid. Making mẻ at home is not too difficult, but unless you’re using it all the time or have the foresight to make some a week or two before you want to cook it with, it might not be worth the effort. Instead, my family usually uses quả sấu- a sour fruit grown mainly in the North of Vietnam. You may be able to find these peeled and frozen at Asian grocery stores. If not, you can use rice vinegar, especially giấm bỗng, a classic northern rice vinegar.

INRGREDIENTS

• Pork: This dish is usually made with several cuts of pork, but the two most important ones are ribs, specifically riblets, and ham hock. When you go to a place specializing in this dish, they will usually have a large selection of cuts you can choose from or you can order a special bowl with a bit of everything. At home, you can use just riblets for the simplest version, go with the 2 main cuts: riblets and hocks, or add my other 2 favorites: tongue and mọc- pork meatballs with mushrooms. Depending on which cuts you use or don’t, adjust the quantity as needed.
• Giant elephant ear stem – Dọc mùng/bạc hà
• Tomato
• Onion
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• MSG
• Souring agent: sấu, mẻ, or rice vinegar (to taste)
• Herbs (green onion & culantro – see Notes)
• Fish sauce
• Bouillon
• Turmeric powder

If making mọc (meatballs):

• Minced pork (or minced pork and premade giò sống)
• Ground black pepper
• Wood ear mushroom
• Shiitake

DIRECTIONS

1. Clean, then add all the meat (except minced pork if using) to a large pot. Add in enough water to cover, bring to boil for 2-3 minutes, then strain and rinse.
2. If using tongue: use a knife to scrape off the tough white outer layer.
3. Add the parboiled meat to a large bowl along with fish sauce, bouillon, and turmeric powder. Marinate for 20 minutes.
4. If making mọc/meatballs: if you’re not using premade giò sống, divide the minced pork into 2 portions of 150 grams and 100 grams. Place the 100g portion in the freezer.
5. If making mọc/meatballs: Add woodear and shiitake mushrooms to a heat-proof bowl. Pour in boiling water to rehydrate.
6. Cut tomatoes into wedges and cut to remove core.
7. Chop green onion.
8. Slice culantro into ribbons.
9. Cute onion into quarters.
10. Heat a large pot on medium and add vegetable oil.
11. Add in the parboiled meat and sauté briefly for about 1-2 minutes.
12. Pour in the water, along with 1/3 the amount of salt and onion quarters. Bring to boil.
13. Skim off any impurities, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 25 minutes.
14. Peel the green outer layer of the dọc mùng. cut, soak in salt water.
15. Cut into thin slices diagonally and add to a large bowl with half the remaining salt and cover with water. Let soak for 5 minutes.
16. Strain the dọc mùng and place back into the bowl along with the remaining salt and massage well, then rinse a few times with water.
17. Add the dọc mùng to a bowl, pour in boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain, then squeeze out excess water.
18. If making mọc/meatballs:
    Chop up rehydrated mushrooms.
    Make the giò sống by adding the frozen meat in food processor. Blend, adding a tbsp of water at a time, until smooth.
    Mix giò sống with the rest of the minced pork, mushrooms, green onion, seasoning.
    With wet hands, shape into small balls.
19. Cook bún noodles according to package instructions, rinse and strain.
20. If using different cuts other than ribs, remove them to an ice bath.
21. Increase heat to medium, add in the sấu (if using) & meat balls and cook until meatballs are floating, then another 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs to plate.
22. If using sấu: remove them from the pot to a strainer, the place strainer at the surface of the broth in the pot and mash with a fork to extract the sour juices. Discard the remaining solids.
23. Remove the meat from the ice bath and thinly slice.
24. Add tomato wedges into the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.
25. Season the broth to taste with fish sauce, bouillon, MSG (optional), and mẻ or rice vinegar (if using).
26. Add noodles to a strainer and dip into the broth to warm them up, then add to bowls.
27. Repeat with the dọc mùng.
28. Add sliced meat and meatballs to the bowls.
29. Ladle in the broth, making sure to add a few pieces of ribs and tomato to each bowl.
30. Sprinkle with culantro & green onion.

Bún bung dọc mùng • Vietnamese giant elephant ear noodle soup

Recipe by MM Bon Appétit Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

0

minutes

A classic Hà Nội noodle soup with bouncy rice noodles in an umami and tangy pork broth. The star of the show is dọc mùng- the crunchy stem of the giant elephant ear plant.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 kg 1 pork riblets or a combination of cuts (see Notes)

• 400 g 400 dọc mùng (bạc hà – giant elephant ear)

• 2 2 tomatoes

• 1 1 onion

• 1 tbsp 1 vegetable oil

• 2.5 liters 2.5 water

• 3 tbsp 3 salt

• 1 tsp 1 MSG (optional)

• Fish sauce (to taste)

• Bouillon (to taste)

• Souring agent: sấu, mẻ, or rice vinegar (to taste)

• Herbs (green onion & culantro – see Notes)

• Marinade

• 2 tsp 2 fish sauce

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 turmeric powder

• Mọc – meatballs (optional)

• 250 g 250 fatty minced pork (or 150 minced pork + 100g giò sống)

• 3 tbsp 3 ice cold water

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1 tsp 1 fish sauce

• 1/4 tsp 1/4 ground black pepper

• 5 g 5 wood ear mushroom

• 5 g 5 shiitake

• Green onion (a hand-full)

Directions

• Clean, then add all the meat (except minced pork if using) to a large pot. Add in enough water to cover, bring to boil for 2-3 minutes, then strain and rinse.
• If using tongue: use a knife to scrape off the tough white outer layer.
• Add the parboiled meat to a large bowl along with fish sauce, bouillon, and turmeric powder. Marinate for 20 minutes.
• If making mọc/meatballs: if you’re not using premade giò sống, divide the minced pork into 2 portions of 150 grams and 100 grams. Place the 100g portion in the freezer.
• If making mọc/meatballs: Add woodear and shiitake mushrooms to a heat-proof bowl. Pour in boiling water to rehydrate.
• Cut tomatoes into wedges and cut to remove core.
• Chop green onion.
• Slice culantro into ribbons.
• Cute onion into quarters.
• Heat a large pot on medium and add vegetable oil.
• Add in the parboiled meat and sauté briefly for about 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in the water, along with 1/3 the amount of salt and onion quarters. Bring to boil.
• Skim off any impurities, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Peel the green outer layer of the dọc mùng. cut, soak in salt water.
• Cut into thin slices diagonally and add to a large bowl with half the remaining salt and cover with water. Let soak for 5 minutes.
• Strain the dọc mùng and place back into the bowl along with the remaining salt and massage well, then rinse a few times with water.
• Add the dọc mùng to a bowl, pour in boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain, then squeeze out excess water.
• If making mọc/meatballs:
  Chop up rehydrated mushrooms.
  Make the giò sống by adding the frozen meat in food processor. Blend, adding a tbsp of water at a time, until smooth.
  Mix giò sống with the rest of the minced pork, mushrooms, green onion, seasoning.
  With wet hands, shape into small balls.
• Cook bún noodles according to package instructions, rinse and strain.
• If using different cuts other than ribs, remove them to an ice bath.
• Increase heat to medium, add in the sấu (if using) & meat balls and cook until meatballs are floating, then another 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs to plate.
• If using sấu: remove them from the pot to a strainer, the place strainer at the surface of the broth in the pot and mash with a fork to extract the sour juices. Discard the remaining solids.
• Remove the meat from the ice bath and thinly slice.
• Add tomato wedges into the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Season the broth to taste with fish sauce, bouillon, MSG (optional), and mẻ or rice vinegar (if using).
• Add noodles to a strainer and dip into the broth to warm them up, then add to bowls.
• Repeat with the dọc mùng.
• Add sliced meat and meatballs to the bowls.
• Ladle in the broth, making sure to add a few pieces of ribs and tomato to each bowl.
• Sprinkle with culantro & green onion.

Notes

• Meat: This dish is usually made with several cuts of pork, but the two most important ones are ribs, specifically riblets, and ham hock. When you go to a place specializing in this dish, they will usually have a large selection of cuts you can choose from or you can order a special bowl with a bit of everything. At home, you can use just riblets for the simplest version, go with the 2 main cuts: riblets and hocks, or add my other 2 favorites: tongue and mọc- pork meatballs with mushrooms. Depending on which cuts you use or don’t, adjust the quantity as needed.
• My suggested quantities for 4 servings would be:
• – 300 grams pork riblets
• – 200 grams pork tongue
• – 500 grams bone-in pork hock
• – 250 grams fatty minced pork (or 150 minced pork + 100g pre-made giò sống)
• Culantro: ngò gai in Vietnamese, not to be confused with cilantro.

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