Oooh, baby, this is what happens when Cook's Illustrated sets their sights on Vietnamese grilled pork - bliss! The pork is exactly as written, the rest has a tiny tweak here or there as is my habit. The original is in the July/August 2018 issue. Serves 4.
Noodles and salad:
8 oz rice vermicelli (I used 3 oz)
1 head romaine, chopped
1 English cucumber, cut in half and sliced thinly at an angle
1 c fresh mint leaves, torn if large
1 c fresh cilantro leaves and stems
(I don't care for mint OR cilantro here... I'd use fresh basil leaves if I had them)
couple of handfuls roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
sliced avocado (NOT traditional... but delightful!)
pickled carrots &/or daikon (see Bun Thit Nuong for how-to)
Sauce
5 T fish sauce
2 T sugar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 c hot water
1/4 c lime juice (one huge or two medium limes)
small spoonful chili-garlic sauce (original had one small Thai chili, mashed with the sugar in a mortar and pestle... the chili-garlic sauce was WAY easier)
Pork Patties
1 large shallot, minced
1 T fish sauce
1.5 t sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t pepper
1 lb ground pork (I didn't go my usual super lean home-ground pork loin, but some mid-fatty grind from Lee Lee's... I think the fat was important to the finished product)
Noodles and Salad:
Boil a large pot of water and dump in noodles. Cook until tender, but not mushy, 4-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your vermicelli. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set colander over saucepan and let drain. If they're sticky when you're ready to serve, give them a quick rinse under the tap and shake off as much water as you can. If they're unmanageable, cut with a scissors. Arrange vegetables on large plate for serving (or leave on cutting board if it's Monday night at home). Put peanuts in a bowl.
Sauce
Mix sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. You'll be soaking the (cooked) pork patties in it later, so make sure there's room.
Pork Patties
Mix all ingredients. Form into 12 small patties, about 1/2" thick and 2.5" across. Fire up your grill - let it get good and hot. Grill patties until well-charred, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to bowl of sauce. Gently toss to coat and let soak 5 minutes. Remove patties to plate.
Mix it all up to your heart's content. Top with peanuts and leftover sauce.
