Best Rice Noodles With Seared Pork Carrots And Herbs Recipes

RICE NOODLES WITH SPICY PORK AND HERBS

Rice Noodles With Spicy Pork and Herbs image

This cold rice-noodle dish, dressed in vinegar and chile oil and topped with spicy pork, herbs and peanuts, has roots in Yunnan, a southwestern Chinese province, where the garnish may vary according to the kitchen and season. The dish is quick to put together but can be served at a leisurely pace: Plate it, or set all of the components on the table and let people put together their own bowls the way they like, to their taste. The chef Simone Tong, who runs a Yunnan-inspired noodle restaurant in Manhattan, makes her version with ground pork, peanuts and a mix of fresh herbs but adds raw breakfast radishes and lacto-fermented pickles as well, for extra crunch and flavor. Feel free to do the same, or not; it's in the spirit of the dish to improvise with what's in season and what's on hand.

Provided by Tejal Rao

Time 20m

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 pound thin, round rice noodles
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
1 tablespoon chile oil (like Lao Gan Ma brand)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 1-inch piece ginger, chopped
2 scallions, light parts chopped, green parts reserved for garnish
1 tablespoon yacai (Sichuan preserved vegetables, optional)
Handful of herbs like mint, basil and cilantro leaves, washed
1/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts, chopped
4 breakfast radishes, sliced (optional)

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook noodles according to instructions. Drain noodles while running under cold water, until they are cool to the touch. Set aside. Mix dressing by whisking rice vinegar, soy sauce, black vinegar, chile oil and sugar until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Cook the pork topping: Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, and add ground pork and salt. Pan-fry, breaking meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink parts and no liquid remain in the pan, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and scallion whites, and stir occasionally until the raw smell has disappeared and the meat is starting to brown in places, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, if using, along with a tablespoon of water, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more, or until mixture is darkened and thick. Set aside.
When you're ready to serve, divide cool, drained noodles into four individual bowls, and top each with a tablespoon of vinegar dressing followed by a pile of ground pork, herbs, peanuts and radishes, to taste. Serve with any remaining garnish, and additional chile oil and chile-oil solids, on the side.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 698, UnsaturatedFat 17 grams, Carbohydrate 97 grams, Fat 24 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 19 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 513 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams

RICE NOODLES WITH SEARED PORK, CARROTS AND HERBS

Rice Noodles With Seared Pork, Carrots and Herbs image

Vietnamese-style marinated pork chops are often served whole with rice noodles, herbs and a dipping sauce. This version mixes all the components, infusing the noodles, sliced meat and vegetables with the sauce and keeping the noodles tender even after a day in the fridge. Dark, robust maple syrup takes the place of the traditional dark caramel in a nod to autumn (and as a weeknight shortcut to save you the hassle of browning sugar). The pork takes only a few minutes to cook, the noodles about 3, so this whole dish comes together really fast.

Provided by Genevieve Ko

Categories dinner, lunch, quick, weekday, weeknight, noodles, main course

Time 20m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1/3 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup dark, pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
Black pepper
2 large shallots, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1 long red finger chile, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)
3 small garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
4 thin (1/2-inch) boneless pork chops (3/4 to 1 pound total)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 carrots, peeled and julienned (2 cups)
Kosher salt
8 to 9 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles
2 packed cups torn fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill (2 1/2 ounces), plus more for garnish

Steps:

Whisk the fish sauce, syrup, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the shallots, chile and garlic. Transfer 2 tablespoons liquid to a large shallow dish and add the pork. Turn to evenly coat and let stand until ready to cook.
Stir the lime juice into the sauce in the bowl. Add the carrots and toss until evenly coated. Let stand.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork and cook, turning once, until seared and just rosy in the center, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let stand.
Put the noodles in the boiling water, stir well, and remove from the heat. Let stand until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain very well, then transfer to the sauce in the bowl. Toss until evenly coated.
Cut the pork into thin slices and add to the noodles with any accumulated juices. Toss well. Toss in the herbs until well mixed. The mixture may look a bit soupy. As it sits and cools, the noodles will absorb the liquid. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold, with more herbs and lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 452, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 50 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 29 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1413 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams