Vietnamese Noodles with Pork

Monica J. Pileggi

February 2004

There are many recipes for this wonderful dish. This is my version:

Ingredients for the pork and marinade:

25 oz. boneless pork sirloin, trimmed of fat, sliced into thin strips
4 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
3 shallots, peeled, minced
1 Tbs. Rice vinegar
1 Tbs. White wine
1 Tbs. sugar
1 T. drid lemongrass, chopped
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 t. vegetable oil

In a blender, add all ingredients and blend to a paste. Place pork in a shallow dish and cover with the mixture. Divide the pork into 4-1/4 ounce servings in small ziplock bags and freeze for future meals.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

4-1/4 oz. marinated pork
2 oz rice stick noodles
3 lettuce leafs, thinly sliced
A handful of shredded carrots
1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin
A handful of bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 T. coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Nouc cham sauce

Preparation:

Cook the noodles according to the package (approx 7-9 minutes); then rinse well under cold water and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

In a non-stick pan, spray some pan and fry the meat until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

To serve:

In a large bowl, add the lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and beans sprouts. Top with the noodles, pork, and peanuts. Pour on the Nouc cham sauce.

Nuoc cham sauce:

1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
Pinch of chili peppers, crushed
1/2 t. hot sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup water

Combine the garlic, chili flakes and sugar in a mortar and make into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Store in a container. Will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.