Grilled Pork & Vermicelli (Bún chả)

Tonight I was feeling much better, after a day spent with a heating pad on my back while at work. So I was able to make Bún chả for us for dinner, using another great recipe from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors. Since I was shopping for the noodles while overwhelmed by muscle crams all over my body, I ended up grabbing the wrong kind of vermicelli (mung bean instead of rice), which might've needed a little longer cooking time, so they were quite al dente... but still good.

Grilled Pork and Vermicelli (Bún chả)
2 1/3 lbs boneless pork shoulder, well trimmed and cut across the grain into strips about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick.
2/3 lb small dried round vermicelli rice noodles, boiled for 3-5 minutes, drained, and flushed with cold water
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned

Marinade:
1 large shallot, chopped
2 1/2 tspn sugar
3/4 tspn black pepper
1 Tbspn honey
2 1/2 Tbspn fish sauce
3 Tbpsn vegetable oil

In a morter, combine the shallot, sugar and pepper and pound with the pestle until a rough paste forms that is slightly liquid. Transfer to a bowl and mix in honey, fish sauce, and oil. Add pork and coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Nước chấm Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbpsn rice vinegar
3 Tbspn sugar
2/3 cup lukewarm water
5-6 Tbspn fish sauce
2-3 Thai or serrano chilies, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, sugar and water and stir to dissolve sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to balance sweet and sour, if needed. Add the fish sauce, starting with 5 Tbpsn and then adding more as your palate dictates, balancing sour, sweet and salty. Aim for a light honey/amber color and a bold, forward finish. When you're satisfied with balance, add chilies and garlic. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to serve.

Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the pork from the refrigerator. Arrange noodles on plates for serving. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or gas grill. Grill the pork slices, turning once, for about 4 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned, a little charred, and sizzling.