Remember that 30 pounds of pork I got on sale a few weeks ago🤣? Well, I am pulling some out of the freezer to make my version of a traditional Vietnamese dish containing noodles and pork called cao lầu.
What is in Hồi An noodles with pork?
The dish contains a special kind of noodle called cao lầu noodles served with marinated pork, bean sprouts, lettuce, fresh herbs, crunchy fried noodles in a small amount of broth.
A little history of Hồi An
Cao lầu is a dish that came from a town in central Vietnam called Hồi An. The Thu Bồn river runs through this ancient town, which made it the center of trading…back in the day. So much that at one point, it was the most valuable ports in Southeast Asia. Since the city has been so well preserved, it is now considered a UNESCO world heritage site.
What is cao lầu noodles?
The star of the dish is the noodles. So what makes these cao lầu noodles so special? The water used to make the noodles comes from a specific well, Ba Le well, located in Hồi An. In addition to the special well water, the ash used to mix with the water to make the lye solution comes from the trees off the coast of Hồi An.
Cao lầu noodles have a more chewy, springy texture compared to the normal rice noodles. Since I cannot travel to Hồi An to obtain these noodles specifically, I’ve found a close substitute. I will use the Bún Bò Huế noodles to make this dish. To me these noodles give the texture of chewy and springy…perfect for the cao lầu noodles dish.
The pork
I used pork butt for this recipe. The marinade contains soy sauce, garlic, pepper, sugar, 5-spice, chicken powder and garlic chili sauce. First I sear the pork in a generous amount of oil until the outside is crispy and brown. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then right before serving, I like to slice the pork into 1/2 inch pieces, throw it on a cast iron pan with a tablespoon of oil then cover with the lid for about 2 minutes. This makes the pork tender and crispy.
Fresh veggies & herbs
For the veggies, I used iceberg lettuce, fresh Thai basil and bean sprouts. Thai basil and bean sprouts can be found at the Asian store. For the “fried noodles”, you can take wonton wrappers and cut them into squares and deep fry. I didn’t have any on hand, so I omitted the fried noodles.
The broth
This broth is normally made from scratch by boiling pork bones and seasoning it with aromatics like onions, garlic, shallots and ginger….but I did not have time for this 🤣. So I used already made chicken stock and just added the leftover marinade (used for the pork). I seasoned the broth using salt, pepper and fish sauce.
Storing leftover noodles with pork
Any time that I have a “soupy” dish, I like to store the ingredients separately. This way the noodles don’t end up absorbing all the broth and becomes mushy. I’ve found out that the Thai basil lasts longer if you only wash and use what you need. The leftover Thai basil can be wrapped in plastic wrap in its original container and it will last a week. As for the bean sprouts, after they’ve been washed and dried, I place them in a bowl and cover them with a damp paper towel. This way they last up to 2-3 days.
Cao Lầu (Hoi An Noodles with Pork)
Ingredients
Ingredients to marinade the pork:
- 1½ tsp five spice
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp chicken powder
- 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
- ½ cup vegetable oil reserved this for the frying of the pork
Ingredients for the broth:
- 2 cups chicken broth
- leftover pork marinade
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp fish sauce
Ingredients for garnish & assembling:
- bean sprouts
- fresh Thai basil
- shredded lettuce
- Sriracha sauce (optional)
- Bun Bo Hue noodles
Instructions
Instructions for marinating the pork:
- Place a generous amount of salt on the pork and rub the salt into the pork. Then rinse the salt off using warm water. Pat the pork dry with paper towels.
- Combine 5 spice, sugar, pepper, garlic, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce and chicken powder in a bowl. Mix well then add it to the pork. Gently rub the marinade into the pork. Cover the pork and let it marinade in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Overnight if possible.
Instructions for cooking the pork:
- Add ½ cup of vegetable oil in a pan and let the oil heat up before placing the pork in to sear. Reserve the juice left over from the marinade. We will use this to make the broth.
- Make sure all sides are nice and brown before removing it from the pan to rest for 15 minutes.
- After the pork has rested, slice it into ½ inch pieces. Place the slices back in the pan in a single layer. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for approximately 3 minutes. This will give that nice caramelization to the pork pieces. Set the sliced pork aside to cool.
Instructions for making the broth:
- In a separate pot, add 2 cups of chicken broth, the juice from the pork marinade, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp fish sauce. Let the broth come to a boil. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly if needed.
Instructions for cooking the noodles:
- Place water and salt in a pot and let the water come to a boil.
- Place the desired amount of Bún Bò Huế noodles in the pot and cook the noodles until they are soft.
- Drain the noodles in a colander then rinse it with cold water. Set the noodles aside.
Instructions to assemble the noodles with pork bowls:
- Place the desired amount of noodles in a bowl.
- Add the sliced marinated pork pieces to the noodles.
- Garnish with shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, chopped fresh basil and a ladle of the broth.
The next time you’re in the mood for a noodle bowl, give this recipe a try. For more noodle bowl recipes, click here.
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