Recipe: Noodle Salad with Grilled Pork
An com is a beautiful cookbook full of home-style Vietnamese dishes. Phi-Yen and her parents’ recipes show you how to make Vietnamese (street food) classics at home, such as the most delicious spring rolls, fish in soybean sauce, dipping sauces and crispy pancakes. Another delicious dish: this noodle salad with grilled pork.
Phi-Yen: ‘We usually eat this dish in summer. The vegetable garden is then in full bloom and we can pick all kinds of different herbs straight from the garden. The barbecue is brought out of the shed and the meat is grilled until it has a beautifully caramelised edge. Grilled meat on a bed of fresh vegetables and cold rice noodles is the perfect combination for a hot summer day.’
Vegetarian version
In Vietnam, this dish is usually eaten with pork, but you can choose any topping you like. Will you go for tofu or perhaps spring rolls? Plenty of choice.
How to make noodle salad with grilled pork
Remove the tough outer layer from the lemongrass. For the marinade, finely chop the garlic, shallot and lemongrass in a food processor. Stir the remaining marinade ingredients together in a bowl until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the finely chopped garlic, shallot and lemongrass and stir again.
Place the marinade and pork belly slices in a large bowl. Mix well, cover with cling film and leave the marinade to soak in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chops from the refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling them. This allows them to come to room temperature.
Prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the package and rinse under cold water. Drain.
Light the barbecue and make sure it is very hot. This takes at least 30 minutes.
Grill the pork belly slices for 6 to 8 minutes on the hot barbecue or in a grill pan. Turn the pork belly slices regularly. Finely chop the mint and coriander.
Cut the red chilli pepper into thin rings and the cucumber into thin strips. Divide the noodles between the bowls, then add the cucumber, lettuce, pickled daikon and carrot, mint, coriander and red chilli pepper. Place the meat on top. Finish with the fried shallots, spring onions in oil and peanuts. Pour a generous amount of the fish sauce dressing over the noodle salad.
Title: An com
Author: Phi-Yen Phan
Price: €29.99
Publisher: Nijgh & van Ditmar
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- Real life: Jacky’s husband cheated on her, so she took revenge with this dish
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Image: Mathilde Nai
