Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Chop Noodle Salad (Bún Chá)
Category
Sausages & Hot Dogs
Servings
4 to 6
Prep Time
3 hours
Cook Time
30 minutes
If you’re like me when you think of cooking pork at home, your mind doesn’t go straight to “light and refreshing”. But with this Vietnamese salad, your tastebuds will have a whole new respect for one of SRF’s more prized cuts: The Pork Chop. Packing flavor with each bite, this multi-textured, herbaceous salad will make you second-guess everything you knew about Vietnamese food and leave you (and your guests) coming back for more. Who needs take-out when you can travel around the world with SRFs?
Author:Nathan Michael & Julia Flowers
Ingredients
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4 Kurobuta boneless pork chops
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3 stalks of lemongrass, chopped white parts only
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1 large shallot, quartered
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4 cloves of garlic
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2 tablespoons fish sauce
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2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil
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1 teaspoon of Salt
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1 teaspoon of ground pepper
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juice of 1 lime
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2 tablespoons of water
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neutral oil (for cooking)
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1/4 cup of fish sauce
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4 tablespoon of rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons of white sugar
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1/2 cup of water
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2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1 Birds Eye Chilli or Small Seranno, minced
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3 tablespoons of lime juice
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1 package of 8 to 12 ounces thin rice noodles (cooked to package instructions and set aside)
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2 heads of inner romaine hearts, separated
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2 carrots, julienned
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2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
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2 cups of mung bean sprouts
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A handful of mint, basil, and cilantro leaves
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1 lime, cut into wedges
Kurobuta Pork Chops
Nước Chấm (Dipping Sauce / Dressing)
Noodle Salad
Directions
Kurobuta Pork Chops
In a blender: add the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, lime juice, and water. Blend until paste forms, add a tablespoon of extra water as needed to get it all blended.
Rub the marinade all over the chops and marinade overnight or for at least three hours.
When you are ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high and add oil. Once the oil is shimmering sear pork chops for 4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. If chops are thicker the cooking time will increase. When the chops are done remove them from the pan and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Nước Chấm (Dipping Sauce / Dressing)
Combine dressing ingredients and whisk until combined.
Noodle Salad
Place noodles on a large platter. If sticking, rinse in cold water and strain again. Scatter the lettuce leaves around the corners, and add the carrots, cucumbers & sprouts. Lay sliced pork chops over the noodles. Garnish with fresh herbs. Pour half the dressing and gently toss. Serve the remaining dressing on the side and add more if desired along with the cut lime.