If you’re a fan of Anthony Bourdain at all, you likely remember the iconic moment he sat down with Barack Obama at comically small stools to clink a couple of beers and have a meal. The steaming bowl of broth, meat, and noodles they tuck into is bún chả, a local street food. The dish originated in Hanoi, where the now-famous meeting occurred.
Classic Vietnamese preparation uses pork, but these flavorful grilled patties are well suited for a variety of game meats, from ground goose to bear. Just be sure to use a grind ratio with a fat content of at least 20% to help the patties stick together and retain moisture.
This meal is served slightly deconstructed, with the patties placed in nước chấm warmed with boiling water alongside a pile of rice noodles, fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables. This makes this meal highly customizable to your tastes—if you like it hot, add more peppers; if you don’t, leave them out; if you want it more brothy, add more water to the nước chấm; or ditch the soup factor entirely and place all the ingredients in a big leafy green and eat it like a lettuce wrap.
To me, this is the epitome of an early fall dinner. Still clinging on to grilling season, but easing into the warm, brothy comforts of colder weather cooking.
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