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Noodles with pork
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Cao Lầu (Hoi An Noodles with Pork)

Marinated pork served with noodles, shredded lettuce, fresh basil and bean sprouts.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 3

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.