Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly with Fine Rice Vermicelli

a plate of Vietnamese crispy roast pork belly on a bed of rice vermicelli sheets and lettuce.

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Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly with Fine Rice Vermicelli

Heo Quay Bánh Hỏi (Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly with Fine Rice Vermicelli Sheets) is a Southern Vietnamese specialty. Tender pork belly with blistered crackling skin is served with soft rice vermicelli, lettuce, fresh herbs and nước chấm dressing.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings: people

Calories: 1356kcal

Author: Sophie Pham

Ingredients

For the Pork Belly

24 oz pork belly slab with skin
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon five-spice powder
¼ teaspoon rice vinegar
coarse salt

For the Dressing

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar (to taste)
2 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Other Accompaniments

fine rice vermicelli sheets (See Notes for more details)
¼ cup cooking oil
1 cup thinly sliced green scallions
roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
chopped soft green lettuce
a mix of fresh herbs such as cilantro, mint, Thai basil

US Customary - Grams

Instructions

Roast the Pork Belly

Pat dry the pork belly and use a sharp knife to score the skin lightly in a crosshatch pattern or prick it all over with a fork or something with a sharp tip.
Mix together the salt, pepper and five-spice powder, and rub the meat side with this mixture. Leave the skin dry and unseasoned.
Let the pork rest uncovered, skin side up in a cool place on the counter for about an hour or in the refrigerator overnight to dry the skin.
Preheat the oven to 390℉ (200℃).
Lightly brush the pork skin with a little of rice vinegar. Wrap the meat side tightly with foil, leaving only the skin exposed. Spread a layer of coarse salt (about ⅓–½ cup) evenly over the skin.
Place the wrapped pork on a wired rack over a baking sheet and then roast in the oven for 1 hour.
After roasting for an hour, take the pork belly out of the oven and carefully remove the salt crust.
Increase the heat to 410℉ (210℃) and return the pork (still wrapped in the foil) to the oven. Roast for another 30 minutes or until the skin is golden and blistered and the meat is tender.

Prepare the Accompaniments while Roasting the Pork

Combine all ingredients for the dressing and adjust sweetness or acidity to taste.
Prepare the fine rice vermicelli sheets according to package instructions.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped scallions and stir briefly. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Assemble and Serve

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before handling. Then chop into bite-sized pieces.
On a large platter, layer the bánh hỏi sheets and drizzle scallion oil and sprinkle roasted peanuts. Top with pieces of pork belly.
Serve with lettuce, fresh herbs and dressing on the side.

Notes

You may be able to find dried bánh hỏi at Asian grocery stores or online — the Bamboo Tree brand is available on Amazon. The brand is also what we use in Vietnam. In case you can't find it, regular vermicelli noodles (bún) make a decent substitute though the texture will be slightly different.

Some places also serve a small portion of pickled vegetables. I have some instructions on making Vietnamese pickled vegetables in this slow cooker pulled pork banh mi recipe.

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