Andrea's Rice Noodle Salad Bowl with Grilled Pork
According to cookbook author and Vietnamese cooking expert Andrea Nguyen, “Like banh mi sandwiches, southern Viet rice noodle salad bowls are adaptable and great for healthful, impromptu meals. Often categorized at restaurants as rice vermicelli bowls or bun (the name of the noodles), they're built according to this blueprint: A large bowl filled with ribbons of lettuce and a thin, crunchy vegetable for texture; fresh herbs for pungency; and slippery rice noodles to convey flavors. You get to choose the toppings, which are inevitably garnished with roasted peanuts. A fancy bowl often has pickled radish and carrot for color and crunch, plus fried shallots for extra richness. You dress the bowl with nuoc cham dipping sauce, toss it with chopsticks (or a fork) and spoon and then dive in.”
To grill the pork, you will need eight to ten 6-inch (15-cm) skewers. If using wooden skewers, choose sturdy flat or thick round ones, which hold up better than flimsier ones, and be sure to soak them in hot water for 20 minutes before using them so they don’t burn on the grill.
Making her Any Day Viet Pickle is totally optional, but Nguyen notes that the pickled veggies add another dimension to this already flavorful dish. The recipe makes more than you will need, but it will keep in the refrigerator for a month, so she likes to keep it around to add color, crunch and tang to all sorts of Vietnamese dishes.
Ingredients
For the Any Day Viet Pickle (optional):
- 2 watermelon radishes, each about 8 oz. (250 g), or 1 daikon radish, about 1 lb. (500 g)
- 1 carrot, about 6 oz. (185 g)
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. plus 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (10 fl. oz./310 ml) distilled white vinegar, preferably Heinz
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) lukewarm water
For the grilled pork:
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) coarsely chopped shallots or yellow onion
- 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar, or 2 Tbs. packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. molasses or dark amber honey
- 1 1/2 Tbs. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbs. canola or other neutral oil, plus more for grilling
- 1 1/4 lb. (625 g) boneless pork shoulder or boneless country-style pork ribs
- Vegetable oil for brushing
For the nuoc cham:
- 2 to 2 1/2 Tbs. sugar, or 3 to 4 Tbs. maple syrup
- 3 to 4 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) warm water, or as needed
- 2 tsp. unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar (if needed)
- 3 to 4 Tbs. fish sauce
- 1 or 2 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced and with seeds kept intact, or 2 to 3 tsp. chile garlic
- sauce or sambal oelek (optional)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced (optional)
- 1/2 small carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or coarsely grated (optional)
For assembling:
- 1 package (6 to 8 oz./185 to 250 g) small dried round rice noodles (maifun), or 1 package (10 to
- 12 oz./310 to 375 g) dried rice capellini
- 2/3 cup (4 oz./125 g) unsalted roasted peanuts or cashew pieces, coarsely chopped if large
- 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) fried onions or shallots (optional)
- 4 cups baby lettuce mix or leaves from soft-leaf lettuces, such as butter, Boston or green leaf, cut into narrow ribbons, with spines intact
- 3 or 4 handfuls bean sprouts, or 1 Persian cucumber, shaved with a vegetable peeler into thin strips, or both
- 1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g) hand-torn fresh mint, basil or cilantro leaves or dill fronds, or a combination
Directions
To make the Any Day Viet Pickle, thinly slice the radishes, or peel and cut the daikon into sticks about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Peel and cut the carrot into sticks about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and a scant 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
Put both vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt and 2 tsp. sugar. Massage and knead for 3 minutes, or set aside for 20 minutes. They will lose about a quarter of their original volume.
Rinse the vegetables with water, drain in a mesh strainer or colander, and press or shake to expel any excess water. Transfer to a 4-cup (32 fl. oz./1 l) jar.
In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) sugar with the vinegar and 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) water until dissolved. Pour enough of the liquid into the jar to cover the vegetables, discard any excess and let sit for 1 hour. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 month.
To make the grilled pork, first make the marinade: In a small food processor, combine the garlic, shallot, pepper, five-spice powder, sugar, molasses, fish sauce, soy sauce and canola oil, then whirl into a slightly coarse, liquid-y marinade. (Or, using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, shallot and sugar together, then and mix in the other ingredients.) Transfer the marinade to a large bowl.
Cut the pork across the grain into strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and a scant 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Add the pork to the marinade and massage to coat well. Thread the meat onto the skewers, covering most of each skewer. Give each loaded skewer a gentle squeeze to ensure that the meat hugs the skewer. Set on a plate, cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
While the pork is marinating, make the nuoc cham: In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. of the sugar (or 3 Tbs. of the maple syrup), 3 Tbs. of the lime juice and the water. Taste and, if needed, add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. sugar (or 1 Tbs. maple syrup) and/or the remaining 1 Tbs. lime juice; dilute with water if you go too far. If there’s an unpleasant tart-bitter edge to the mixture, add the vinegar to adjust the flavor.
Add the fish sauce to the bowl; how much you will need depends on the brand and your own taste. Aim for a bold, forward finish that’s a little gutsy. (Keep in mind that this sauce will dress unsalted ingredients such as lettuce and herbs, which will need an extra flavor lift.) If desired, add the chiles, garlic and/or carrot. (You can also offer the chiles on the side if some diners are sensitive to them.) The sauce can be made up to 8 hours before serving and stored, covered, at room temperature.
To prepare the remaining ingredients, bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Boil the noodles until tender, according to the package instructions; the cooking time depends on the noodle and the brand. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and set aside to drain well. Put the nuoc cham in a serving bowl. Set the nuts and fried onions (if using) near the stove.
Divide the lettuce and bean sprouts among four large soup or pasta bowls (you’ll need room later to mix and toss). Add the fresh herbs, reserving 2 Tbs. for garnish. Top with a layer of noodles. Tuck a small pile of pickles (if using) into each bowl. Set near the stove.
Lightly brush the pork with oil. Lightly oil a cast-iron stove-top grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Alternatively, prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
Grill the pork, turning the skewers and brushing with oil frequently, until the meat is slightly charred and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. Nick a piece of the pork with the point of a knife to check for doneness. Divide the meat among the bowls, either leaving it on the skewers or sliding it off. Top with the nuts, fried onions and reserved herbs.
Serve the bowls with the sauce on the side. Have diners dress and toss their own bowls. Serves 4.
Reprinted with permission from Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
