the ch!cktionary

20 Sep 2011
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I went a little nuts yesterday, jogged over to Allston, and spent $100 on groceries at Hong Kong Supermarket (the former Super 88). At American chains in the Back Bay, there’s really limited selection, and the Asian store closest to me (the Cherry Mart on Newbury Street) is fairly well-stocked but has super marked-up prices. So, I decided that I would fill my pantry with enough supplies to last me the rest of the year … which is how I wound up with jumbo-sized bottles of rice vinegar, mirin, and fish sauce, in addition to three different kinds of noodles, seven pounds of pork, and a crapload of canned fruit.

Thankfully, the Bestie offered me a ride (so I wouldn’t have to jog back), and I had him and his dude carry my groceries up to my fourth-floor walk-up. As a sign of my gratitude, I made them a favorite Vietnamese dish of mine: charbroiled pork with vermicelli rice noodles. Though there’s meat in the recipe, it plays a rather minor role (and I imagine you can substitute with tofu). The best part of this meal, in my opinion, is the use of fresh, raw produce which comprise the majority of the dish.

This is only the second time that I’ve attempted to make this at home. (The photos above are actually from my first attempt last month.) I can already tell it’s going to become a staple in my house, because it’s really hard to screw up. That said, it’ll be difficult to approximate the flavors if you don’t have some Asian pantry basics. And fish sauce is CRUCIAL - don’t you even consider skipping it, because its absence will ruin the entire dish.

I used the following recipe which was adapted from one I found online (at The Meal Planner):

Vietnamese Charbroiled Pork with Vermicelli Noodles

For the pork:
1 ½ lb pork shoulder, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sugar (I recommend brown sugar or a dollop of molasses, if you’re using white)
4 tbsp rice vinegar (in a pinch, you can substitute lime juice)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Chinese chilli oil
3 tbsp sesame oil

For the noodles and toppings:
400g vermicelli rice noodles
1 cup each of lettuce (thinly sliced), bean sprouts, carrots (shredded), and cucumbers (cut into matchsticks)
Chopped peanuts
Cilantro
Spring onions
Fried red onion flakes

For the fish sauce:
3 ½ tbsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce or ½ tsp minced chili (yes, Sriracha will do in a pinch)

Mix pork marinade ingredients, thinly slice the pork, toss in the marinade, and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. After marinating, turn your oven to broil and place the strips of pork underneath the broiler for 6-10 minutes, depending on how far from the broiler the pork is and how thickly you’ve sliced your pork. (Typically, the outer edges should brown and become crispy when the pork is done.)

Prepare vermicelli noodles according to instructions. (Usually, this involves heating a pot of water to a boil, turning off the heat, then placing the noodles in the pot, and covering it with a lid for 3-4 minutes before draining and rinsing with cool water.)

In a resealable jar, add all the Vietnamese dipping sauce ingredients, shake well, and refrigerate.

To assemble your bowl, place raw vegetables at the bottom. (I don’t tend to use all the vegetables and prefer carrots and cucumbers to lettuce or beansprouts.) Top with the cooled noodles and strips of pork. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro, spring onions, red onion flakes, etc. to your liking. Pour fish sauce over noodles immediately before eating. (We used plates in the above photos, but I recommend bowls, which are much easier for holding the liquid that accumulates at the bottom.)

Photo credit: Patrick Hamm