COOL VIETNAMESE NOODLES
Keeping it cool, here’s a recipe for one of the more delicious “salads” the world offers, what the Vietnamese generically call “bun,” pronounced “boon” (written more exactly, “bún thit nuóng”—plus even more Vietnamese accents that aren’t in my font base). It’s much more than a salad, actually, and in its variations—only one such is given here—easily can stand for the main meal of the day.
If you wish to avoid any heat at all (I’m referring to Fahrenheit here), you might cook the pork ahead; slice it when assembling the bun. And to prepare the super-convenient Vietnamese rice “vermicelli,” all you need is some boiling water. Steep them for just a minute or two until they are limp. That’s it.
And get over any hang-up over eating fish sauce. It’s always a mere underlying flavor—and a terrific, umami-laden one at that—never sticking out or making the overall dish “fishy” tasting. Plus, it’s Italian (well, Roman, really) and was the principal salty sauce for the ancient Greeks, Romans and Turks, known then as liquamen or garum. The Asians made it too, perhaps even earlier.
The Vietnamese are smarter than we, however. They kept it going into true fish sauce. We took garum and evolved it into ketchup.
RECIPE: Easy Vietnamese Pork Bun Bowls
Elizabeth Lindemann at bowlofdelicious.com; serves 4
This recipe uses a few shortcuts to make it quick and easy without sacrificing flavor. It's fresh, healthy, gluten free, and adaptable to be vegan/vegetarian.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, thinly sliced
For the marinade:
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
Juice of 1 lime
Black pepper, to taste
For the dipping sauce (nuoc cham):
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Crushed red pepper, to taste
4 cups chopped fresh lettuce
1 package rice vermicelli noodles, cooked and cooled
1 cucumber, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced or cut julienne
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Pork, prepared as above
Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Add the pork and all the marinade ingredients to a large freezer bag or container. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours or up to three days (you can also freeze it for a longer time).
Cook the pork on high heat in a heavy skillet, such as cast iron. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until seared and fully cooked through.
Meanwhile, divide the bowl ingredients into four bowls, layering the lettuce, noodles, carrots, cucumbers, and herbs. Mix together ingredients for dipping sauce/dressing and divide amongst four small bowls or ramekins.
Top each bowl with equal amounts of pork and garnish with chopped peanuts. Pour dipping sauce on top of each bowl just before eating.
For a vegetarian/vegan version, use tofu instead of pork and use a vegetarian-friendly substitute for the fish sauce such as this one from Cooks Illustrated: “In a saucepan, simmer 3 cups of water, 1/4 ounce dried sliced shiitake mushrooms, 3 tablespoons salt, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce over medium heat until reduced by half. Strain, cool, and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Wine Pairings and why: Many Asian or Asian-style recipes contain a fair amount of sweetness (in the form of ripe fruit, sauces such as Hoisin sauce, sweet rice, coconut cream or outright added cane sugar). Sweet is part of the hot-sour-salty-sweet “quad” aimed for in especially Southeastern Asian dishes. Be wary when pairing very dry wines, of any color or style, with sweet food; the wine will suffer more and come off harsh, even sour. Better to choose wines with a slight whiff of sweetness themselves such as many Rieslings, Portuguese Vinho Verdes and Proseccos from Italy. Like Asian recipes, many wines sport a bit of sugar that you might not have known was there.