Pork with Cold Rice Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork butt
- 3 shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 8 ounces thin rice stick noodles (bun)
- 1 tablespoon (about) canola oil
- 1/2 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrot
- 1/2 cup matchstick-size strips peeled daikon radish
- 3 scallions (green part only), thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chiffonade fresh mint
- 1/4 cup chiffonade green leaf lettuce
- 1/4 cup chiffonade Vietnamese basil
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
- Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (see recipe; double recipe)
Preparation
To marinate the pork: Chill the pork in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until it is slightly tacky and firm but not frozen solid (this will make it easier to cut into paper thin slices). Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork against the grain into paper thin slices.
Toss the pork slices, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
To prepare the noodles: Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold running water to remove the excess starch and cool the noodles completely. Drain well and set aside.
To serve: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy large frying pan or grill pan over high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, lay the pork slices flat in the pan and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side.
Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Place the warm pork on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with the carrot and radish strips. Sprinkle with the scallions, mint, lettuce, and basil. Top with the roasted peanuts.
Serve each bowl with the nuoc cham in small bowls. Finally, pour the nuoc cham over the noodles and mix well like a salad.
