Bun Thit Nuong- Vietnamese Vermicelli w/ Meat

Bun Thit Nuong

Ingredients for bun (the noodles and veggie):

4 cups rice vermicelli
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup mint, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, julienned
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Ingredients for thit nuong (the bbq pork or i do chicken and shrimp):

1 lb chicken breast or thigh sliced into small strips

10 shrimp
1 tablespoon diced garlic
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
fresh ground pepper

Ingredients for Nuoc Cham (fish sauce)*:

1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
1 large clove garlic minced
1 or more bird's eye or Thai chilis minced

To make this just make the bun according to the direction on the package and top it off with as many veggies as you like. Marinate the meat in the rest of the ingredients for "thit nuong" for an hour and grill it until cooked (you can do this on a pan without oil). Top your bun creation off with the meat and drizzle on as much or as little nuoc cham as you want and enjoy. It's simple, refreshing and delicious.

*My family likes their sauce a little sweeter which is why it calls for so much sugar, but if you like your sauce a bit more sour- up the lime juice to 1/2 cup and down the sugar to about 5 Tbsp. Also, if you like it less spicy omit some of the Thai chilis, and if you want it more spicy add more!

I would recommend using Squid brand fish sauce.