Summer Dinner Idea: Asian Grilled Pork with Noodle Salad

Although it’s a little more intensive, this bright dish is a must-try if you’re looking for a filling, yet refreshing weeknight summer meal. You get a lot of great texture and bright, savoury flavours from the vegetables and sauce, finished with a bit of spice from the juicy pork. This recipe would also make a great side dish without the pork, served as a vermicelli noodle salad at your next backyard barbecue.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

150 g of vermicelli noodles
1 handful of peanuts (chopped)

Asian Brine:
4 pork loin chops
2 1/2 cups apple juice
2 1/2 tbsp salt
50 ml soy sauce
2 Tbsp ginger (minced)
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

Mixed Vegetables:

Sauteed:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 a jalapeno (finely chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/2 a handful of Enoki mushrooms
Fresh:
1/2 a handful of Enoki mushrooms
2 carrots (julienned)
4 pieces of broccoli (roughly chopped)
1/2 an Asian pear (julienned)
2 handfuls of cilantro (chopped)
1 handful of sprouts
1 handful of peas (chopped)

Sauce:
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup Thai fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp warm water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sesame oil

Pork Glaze:
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha
½ Tbsp sesame oil
Handful of sesame seeds
Splash hot water (until smooth)

Directions:

Asian Brine:
1. In a large container, mix ingredients together for the brine.
2. Place 4 pork chops in the brine, allow to brine in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Sauce:
1. In a bowl, mix together ingredients for the sauce, stirring to combine.

Vermicelli Noodles:
1. Place your vermicelli in a heat-proof bowl, add enough boiling water to just cover the noodles.
2. Leave the noodles for about 5 minutes, until they reach your desired tenderness.
3. Drain hot water from the noodles, and shock them with cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the water to drain from the noodles while preparing the rest of the meal.

Sauteed Vegetables:
1. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan on medium heat,
2. Once oil has heated, add shallots, ginger, garlic and jalapeño to the pan, sauteing for about 5 minutes.
3. Once they begin to lightly brown, add green onions and half a handful of the Enoki mushrooms, sauteing for about 30 more seconds, before removing to a bowl.

Fresh Vegetables:
1. In a large bowl, combine the fresh portion of the vegetables together with the sauteed vegetables, mixing in 3/4 of the sauce into the vegetables (saving the rest for later).

Pork:
1. On a barbecue on medium-high heat, cook pork chops about 5 minutes on each side until cooked to 150°F, remove to plate and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
2. While pork is resting, combine hoisin, Sriracha, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl, mixing ingredients together. Add about 1 tablespoon or so of hot water to the sauce, whisking until it becomes a smooth consistency.
3. Once pork has finished resting, slice it and toss in glaze.
4. In a bowl, place vermicelli, top with mixed vegetables and pork, garnishing with cilantro, chopped peanuts and a lime wedge.
5. Spoon some of the leftover fish sauce mixture over the finished noodle bowl.