Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Glazed Pork

Now that we are headed into summer I am always looking for light dinners that don’t require turning on the oven.

These noodle bowls are so amazing! They have such a great combo of flavors and textures.

Do not be afraid of fish sauce, I totally was, but I finally bought some a few months ago to use in a recipe and since then I have used it so many times. It doesn’t taste like fish, it is kind of sour and tangy, and it totally makes this recipe. Try it!

What you need,

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2-4 boneless pork chops, trimmed and pounded to ¼ inch thick

2 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

For the dressing;

¼ cup fish sauce

½ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 small red chili, thinly sliced

For the noodle bowl;

1 package of thin rice noodles, cooked according to package directions

3 small Kirby cucumbers, diced

3 small carrots, shredded or cut into small matchsticks

½ head green leaf lettuce, chopped

1 bunch fresh mint, chopped

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (you could use cilantro if you like it)

Stir together the fish sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Place the marinade in a large zip lock bag and massage it into the pork really well. Refrigerate the chops for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

In a large skillet over medium high heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook the pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side until crisp on the outside and just cooked through. Carefully remove the pork from the pan onto a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium low and let any remaining sauce in the pan thicken up a little. Slice the pork into thin slices, across the grain. Put the pork slices back into the pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes until well coated with the sauce left in the pan.

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid combine all the ingredients and shake well. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

To assemble, place a pile of the rice noodles in the centre of a bowl.

Add a few slices of the pork, some cucumber, lettuce, carrot, mint and parsley. 

Pour over some of the dressing and toss everything to coat.

Serve immediately.

I can’t tell you how much I loved this! It was perfection.

Such a great summer dinner, cool and refreshing.

Jen

Recipe from Rachel Ray Magazine