Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Pork

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 lb. pork tenderloin
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 3 T. sesame oil

  divided
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 large clove garlic

  minced
• 1-1/2 c. water
• ¼ c. rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 T. fish sauce
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 medium garlic clove

  minced
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 12 oz. thin white rice noodles (use very thin vermicelli or ones that are a bit thicker
• 4 to 6 c. sliced romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 1 to 2 large carrots

  julienned (this julienne peeler works great)
• half of a large English cucumber

  sliced into thin rounds
• 1 c. bean sprouts
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro

  coursely chop or tear, if desired
• 1 bunch fresh mint

  coursely chop or tear, if desired
• fresh lime wedges

Instructions

• 1 for the pork: Place pork tenderloin in freezer to chill for 30 minutes. Remove
  from freezer and cut crosswise into very thin slices, about 1/8″ thick. Then cut
  each slice in half lengthwise. Place pork pieces in a wide shallow bowl or large
  zip-top baggie.
• 2 In a small bowl, stir together sugar, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sesame
  oil, soy sauce, black pepper, salt, and garlic. Pour mixture over pork pieces
  and fold several times to ensure the marinade is thoroughly mixed in with the
  pork. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour. Meanwhile,
  prepare the sauce and noodles.
• 3 for the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, stir
  together all sauce ingredients. Once sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from
  heat to cool to room temperature.
• 4 for the noodle salad: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice
  noodles, stir, and turn off heat. Let noodles soften according to the package
  directions, then drain and rinse in cold water in a colander. Shake very well to
  remove water and leave sit in colander at room temperature.
• 5 Divide noodles amongst four low wide bowls or plates. Top each with lettuce,
  carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and lime.
• 6 Remove pork from refrigerator. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high
  to high heat. When hot, add remaining 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil and swirl
  around the bottom of the skillet. When oil is shimmering, carefully add pork.
  Separate pork pieces to cover bottom of skillet. Let pork sit without stirring
  for about 1 minute, to caramelize. Fold and repeat until pork is cooked through,
  about 5 minutes. Total cook time will depend on how thin the pork is cut, etc.
• 7 Divide hot pork amongst each of the four bowls. Serve with sauce to pour over
  individual bowls.

Nutrition Info