Lemongrass Pork on Cool Rice Vermicelli with Herbs

Only one of my favorite dishes of all time! I can't get enough of this dish and now I will be able to make it at home!

Yield 4-6 bowls as a one-dish meal

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tsp Fish sauce
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Light brown palm sugar
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
2 stalks Lemongrass, trimmed & minced
1 small Shallot, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
3/4 lb Pork shoulder, butt, or leg, sliced about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) thick
1 lb Dried rice vermicelli
1/4 head Green or red leaf lettuce, shredded, about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick
1 small Cucumber, Kirby variety preferred, bite size julienne strips, about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) thick
1/2 cup Carrots, shredded or fine julienne strips, about 1/16 inch (0.1 cm) thick
1/2 cup Perilla herb, sliced thinly about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) slices
3/4 cup Peanuts, roasted in dry pan
1 recipe Lime dipping sauce

Preparation

1. Marinate the pork: in a medium bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, oil, palm sugar, pepper, lemongrass, shallots, and garlic. Add pork; massage to coat well. Marinate at least 30 mins, overnight is even better.
2. Cook the noodles. Meanwhile, soak rice vermicelli in room temperature water 15 mins; drain. Cook noodles in 1 gallon (4 L) of boiling water until tender yet resilient, anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 min depending on thickness of noodles. Immediately rinse with cool water; drain well. Form the noodles into 4 to 6 bundles.
3. Set up the bowls: Divide lettuce among serving bowls; top with noodles. Cover, leave at room temperature until needed. The noodles will become a bit sticky but there's no need to do anything - they will loosen immediately when the sauce is added.
4. Cook the pork: Drain any excess marinade from pork. Grill pork slices until browned well and cooked through; reserve. (You may opt to saute the pork instead.)
5. Assemble the noodle bowls: Arrange cucumbers, carrots, mint and cilantro in bowls with noodles. Cut pork into bite size pieces and arrange atop noodles; sprinkle with roasted peanuts.
6. Serve with lime dipping sauce. Divide sauce into 4-6 small bowls (4-6 Tbsp). Each guest pours his sauce over his own dish and mixes before eating.

Tip

To get the desired browning when sauteing, do not stir or move the pork often. Agitating the pork forces out juices that cool down the pan, causing the pan to brown more than the meat itself.

From Southeast Asian Flavors.

Dumpling Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Serious Eats)

Makes about 2 servings

2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 scallions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2-inch sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4-5 dumplings, depending on size
1 package ramen noodles (flavor is unimportant as you toss out that packet)
1 bunch baby bok choy
Toasted sesame oil for drizzling

Bring the broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a boil over medium heat. Reserve some raw scallions for topping the soup.

Add the noodles and cook for about 2 minutes or until they begin to loosen up. Add the dumplings and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are warmed through. Stir in the bok choy and cook for another minute.

Divide among soup bowls and top with scallions. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil.

From Dishing Up Delights.

Sesame-Garlic Soba Noodles

(From The Kitchn)

1 cup soba noodles - about 1.5 ounces dry
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced (reserve some for garnish)
1 egg
Extra salt

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the soba noodles. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to serving dish. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about thirty seconds to one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce. Pour this sauce over the noodles, add the green onion, and toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Set the same small pan you just used back over medium-high heat. Crack an egg into the pan, being careful not to break the yolk. When the whites have set, use a spatula to gently but swiftly flip the egg over. Cook for a minute or two until the whites are completely cooked but the yolk is still liquid. Slide the egg on top of the noodles, garnish with green onion. Serve immediately.

From Dishing Up Delights.