Lemongrass Pork and Rice Noodle Bowl

By DreiFromBK

Nhi Mundy dusted off her family's best old recipes when she moved to upstate New York and opened Ba & Me. The lemongrass pork that tops her noodle bowl is a secret family recipe, but we think this flavorful variation is just as delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 lemongrass stalk, inner white bulb only, minced
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons Asian chile sauce, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups julienned carrot
• 1 cup julienned daikon
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 small jalapeño, minced
• 8 ounces rice vermicelli
• Mint, cilantro, romaine lettuce and sliced cucumber, for serving

Details

Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk the 
oyster sauce with the vegetable oil, shallots, lemongrass, brown sugar, honey, 2 tablespoons 
of chile sauce, the sesame oil, white pepper, baking soda, 5 of the garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the pork and turn 
to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the carrot and daikon with the vinegar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain well and refrigerate until chilled.
In a bowl, stir 1/4 cup of water with the lime juice, fish sauce and jalapeño. Add the remaining garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the vermicelli until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. 
Pat dry and transfer to bowls.
Light a grill. Remove the pork from the marinade, scraping off any excess. Grill over high heat, turning, until lightly charred and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Top the noodles with the pork and some of the pickled vegetables. Serve with mint, cilantro, romaine, cucumber and the chile-lime sauce.

Suggested Pairing

White-peach-scented, full-bodied Rhone white.