GRILLED PORK SKEWERS WITH NOODLE SALAD

COMPLIMENTARY RECIPE

“Pork skewers packed with flavour, meet a light and fresh noodle salad in this street food-inspired dish.”

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
2 tbs caster sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce
1 tbs honey
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 spring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced, separated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g pork neck, cut across the grain into 3mm-thick slices
2 tbs sunflower oil
VERMICELLI NOODLE SALAD
250g vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
½ bunch mint, leaves roughly sliced
5 perilla leaves, roughly sliced
½ bunch Vietnamese mint, leaves picked, roughly chopped
1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into long matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts
½ cup (125ml) Nuoc Cham (recipe follows)
1/3 cup (80ml) Spring Onion Oil (recipe follows)
Fried Asian shallots and crushed roasted peanuts, to serve
NUOC CHAM (200ML)
¼ cup (60ml) fish sauce
¼ cup (60ml) white vinegar
2 tbs caster sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
SPRING ONION OIL (250ML)
1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil
6 spring onions, green part only, thinly sliced

METHOD

Place sugar, fish sauce, honey and pepper in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound white parts of spring onions to a paste. Add to honey mixture with garlic, pork and oil, tossing to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.

Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent scorching.

Thread marinated pork onto skewers, discarding remaining marinade.

Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue to medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the pork skewers for 1-2 minutes each side until browned and cooked through.

Divide the noodles among serving bowls. Top with the herbs, cucumber, carrot and bean sprouts, then add pork skewers. Drizzle over the nuoc cham and spring onion oil. Sprinkle with fried shallots, crushed peanuts and green parts of spring onion to serve.