Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad (Bun)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 23, 2009
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 as a main course
Ingredients
Pork
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed and sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick roundsDressing
⅔ cup fish sauce ½ cup warm water 6 tablespoons juice from 3 limes5 tablespoons sugar 3 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalapeño chiles, seeds and ribs removed, chiles minced (see note)2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)Salad
3 large carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 ½ cups)1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks¼ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, plus extra for garnish1 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced8 ounces dried rice vermicelli 4 cups red or green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves (see note)½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leavesBefore You Begin
To make slicing the pork easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. You can increase the spiciness of this dish by including the minced ribs and seeds from the chiles. We find the trio of fresh cilantro, basil, and mint essential for flavor in this salad; if you cannot find all three, increase the amount of the others to 3/4 cup each. Or, if you cannot find Thai basil, substitute Italian basil. Serve with Microwave-Fried Shallots, if desired.
Instructions
- Whisk the oil, fish sauce, and sugar together in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the pork and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves and set aside.
- Toss the carrots, cucumber, peanuts, and chile with 1/4 cup of the dressing and set aside to marinate while cooking the noodles and pork.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Off the heat, add the rice noodles and let stand, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and transfer them to a large bowl. Layer the carrot-cucumber mixture, lettuce, basil, cilantro, and mint on top of the noodles (do not toss), and set aside.
- Adjust an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil and top with a broiler pan top. Remove the pork from the marinade and spread it out over the broiler pan top. Broil the pork until golden on both sides with crisp edges, about 10 minutes, flipping the pork over halfway through the cooking time.
- Pour half of the remaining dressing over the noodles, carrot-cucumber mixture, lettuce, and herbs and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly between 4 large individual serving bowls and top with the broiled pork. Sprinkle with additional peanuts and fried shallots (if desired) and serve, passing the remaining dressing separately.
for the pork
for the dressing
for the salad
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 as a main courseIngredients
Pork
Dressing
Salad
Ingredients
Pork
Dressing
Salad
Ingredients
Pork
Dressing
Salad
Why This Recipe Works
We knew from making Vietnamese spring rolls that the best way to rehydrate the rice noodles, or rice vermicelli, for our rice noodle salad recipe was by dropping them into boiling water that had just been removed from the heat and letting them soak until tender. To flavor the pork tenderloin filling, we marinated the sliced meat in a mixture of vegetable oil, fish sauce, and brown sugar, then broiled it instead of grilling it. For the other salad components, we liked the traditional shredded carrots and julienned cucumber, but instead of pickling these vegetables, we simply allowed them to marinate in the dressing before adding them to the salad. For the nuoc cham, the dressing for our rice noodle salad recipe, we created a mixture of fish sauce, water, lime juice, fresh chiles, and garlic that was sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory all at once.
Before You Begin
To make slicing the pork easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. You can increase the spiciness of this dish by including the minced ribs and seeds from the chiles. We find the trio of fresh cilantro, basil, and mint essential for flavor in this salad; if you cannot find all three, increase the amount of the others to 3/4 cup each. Or, if you cannot find Thai basil, substitute Italian basil. Serve with Microwave-Fried Shallots, if desired.
Instructions
- Whisk the oil, fish sauce, and sugar together in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the pork and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves and set aside.
- Toss the carrots, cucumber, peanuts, and chile with 1/4 cup of the dressing and set aside to marinate while cooking the noodles and pork.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Off the heat, add the rice noodles and let stand, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and transfer them to a large bowl. Layer the carrot-cucumber mixture, lettuce, basil, cilantro, and mint on top of the noodles (do not toss), and set aside.
- Adjust an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil and top with a broiler pan top. Remove the pork from the marinade and spread it out over the broiler pan top. Broil the pork until golden on both sides with crisp edges, about 10 minutes, flipping the pork over halfway through the cooking time.
- Pour half of the remaining dressing over the noodles, carrot-cucumber mixture, lettuce, and herbs and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly between 4 large individual serving bowls and top with the broiled pork. Sprinkle with additional peanuts and fried shallots (if desired) and serve, passing the remaining dressing separately.
for the pork
for the dressing
for the salad
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