Vietnamese Style Crispy Pork Salad Food

VIETNAMESE CARAMELISED PORK BOWLS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
• Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the pork mince and cook for 2 minutes or so until white all over, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
• Add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then leave it to cook without touching until all the juices cook out and the pork starts caramelised - about 2 minutes. Then stir it and leave it again, without stirring, for around 30 seconds to get more caramelisation. Repeat twice more until caramelised to your taste.
• Serve over rice or vermicelli noodles, garnished with sliced scallions/shallots. For a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! I like to have chunks of plain cucumber and carrots on the side which is a classic way of making Vietnamese bowls.

VIETNAMESE NOODLE SALAD WITH PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir and remove from the heat. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Cut into shorter lengths using kitchen shears.
• Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Divide the lettuce among bowls and top with the noodles, carrots and cucumber; set aside.
• Cook the pork in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and crisp, about 8 minutes. Divide among the salads. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the herbs and peanuts. Drizzle with Sriracha.

VIETNAMESE PORK SALAD

Steps:

• The day before: make the dressing. Put the sugar and lime juice in a pan with 1 tbsp water and bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Add the chilli and coriander and stir well, then pulse in a blender until smooth. Tip into a bowl, then stir in the sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame seeds to make a dressing. Cover and chill until needed.
• Two hours before serving: heat a griddle pan. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Brush the pork with oil and griddle on all sides for a few minutes until seared. Transfer to a baking tray and put in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Cool, thinly slice against the grain of the meat. Tip into a bowl and pour over half the dressing.
• To serve: toss the remaining salad ingredients in a bowl with the remaining dressing. Pile on to a platter, top with the pork slices and spoon over any juices.

VIETNAMESE STYLE CRISPY PORK SALAD

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan, add half the pork and cook over a high heat stirring occasionally until brown and crispy. Set aside, heat rest of oil and cook remaining pork in the same way.
• In a bowl mil together the ginger, chilli, garlic, spring onions and the coriander. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and the juice of one of the limes. Mix well.
• Pour over the crispy pork and stir to mix together.
• Pile the mixture onto the individual lettuce leaves, give each one a squeeze of lime juice or serve with a wedge of lime.
• Enjoy!

ROASTED PORK BANH MI (VIETNAMESE SANDWICH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Toss julienned daikon and carrot with seasoned rice vinegar to coat well. Let sit until veggies get slightly limp, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside or refrigerate.
• Mix the mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl.
• Split the French roll just enough so you can open it like a book. If you like, pull out some of the bread from the top half to better accommodate the filling.
• Spread the interior surfaces of the roll liberally with the mayo mixture. Transfer roll to prepared baking sheet, cut side up. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, heated through and edges start to brown, about 7 minutes.
• Place sliced pork, pate, cucumber, picked daikon and carrots, jalapeno, and cilantro leaves in the roll. Cut in half to serve.

VIETNAMESE GRILLED PORK AND RICE VERMICELLI NOODLE BOWL

Steps:

• For the dipping sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Set aside.
• For the pork: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a blender; puree about 20 seconds until smooth. Place the pork in a medium bowl, pour the marinade over the meat and massage the pork well. Marinate for at least 1 hour if time allows. Heat a grill pan, medium skillet or griddle to high and add the oil. When you see white wisps of smoke, saute the pork for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
• For the noodles: Soak the rice sticks in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain, then boil the soaked rice sticks in 3 quarts (2.8 liters) of water in a 4-quart (3.8-liter) pot for about 12 minutes until al dente. Rinse them well under cold water in a fine mesh strainer and reserve.
• Assembly: Divide the noodles into 4 separate bowls. Place the pork on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the pork with radish, carrot, roasted peanuts and scallions. Pour Nuoc Cham Sauce over the noodles and mix them well like a salad.

VIETNAMESE PORK SALAD

Steps:

• For the pork: In a large bowl, combine the lemon grass, garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce, chili and 1 tablespoon water. Add pork chops, turn to coat well, and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours.
• For the dressing: In a small bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chili and 1/2 cup water. Mix well. Dressing should be strong but not overwhelming; if desired, add up to 1/4 cup more water.
• Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Remove pork chops from marinade, brush off lemon grass and pat dry with paper towels. Place pork chops on grill or in pan and brown well, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Remove from heat and let rest about 5 minutes. Cut into thin slices and set aside.
• For serving: Cook rice noodles according to package instructions and rinse under cold water. Drain, and mix in bowl with romaine, pomelo or grapefruit, carrots, cucumbers, mint and cilantro. Toss to mix. Add dressing and toss again. Top with pork and garnish with peanuts. Serve at room temperature.

STICKY PORK BELLY WITH VIETNAMESE-STYLE SALAD & SMASHED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Remove the rind from the pork and put the meat in a large sealable food bag or casserole dish. In a bowl, mix the hoisin, honey, vinegar, soy, ketchup and ginger, then pour over the pork and massage well. Seal the bag or cover the dish and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a snug roasting tin, lined with foil. Pour over 50ml water, cover with foil and roast for 2 hrs, or until tender, basting halfway through. Take the pork out and increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the foil and pour the sauce into a small pan. Bring the sauce to the boil and let it bubble until thick and syrupy. Brush some of the sauce all over the pork and pop back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 mins until sticky and caramelised in places. Transfer to a chopping board, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Toss all the ingredients, except the peanuts, together in a bowl. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients and set aside. Reheat the remaining sauce, adding a splash of water if it has become too thick. Toss the dressing through the salad and divide between 2 plates, then top with the smashed peanuts. Cut the pork into thick slices, arrange alongside the salad, then drizzle over the sauce. Serve with Coconut rice (see tip, below).