Hoi An Cao Lau with Roast Pork, Fresh Herbs and Crisp Noodle Strips

What you need

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) pork shoulder, in 2 strips about 4 cm (1 1/2 in) thick
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce, divided
• 2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying
• 250 g (9 oz) thick dried rice noodles, cao lau noodles if you can find them, or thick round rice noodles
• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) pork stock, chicken stock also works
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 6 sheets wonton wrappers, cut into thin strips
• 150 g (5 oz) bean sprouts
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1 small lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced, optional

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F).

2. 2

   Mix half the garlic with the five-spice powder, 2 tbsp of the soy sauce, 1 tbsp of the sugar and the tablespoon of oil. Coat the pork strips all over and marinate for 20 min.

3. 3

   Set the pork on a rack over a foil-lined tray. Roast until browned at the edges and the center reads 71 °C (160 °F), 35-40 min, flipping once halfway.

4. 4

   Rest the pork for 10 min, then slice it thinly across the grain.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles for 3-4 min, until tender but still springy. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.

6. 6

   Pour oil 2 cm (1 in) deep into a small pot and heat it to 175 °C (350 °F). Fry the wonton strips in 2 batches until golden, 20-30 sec each. Lift out onto paper towels.

7. 7

   Simmer the stock in a small pan with the remaining garlic, soy sauce and sugar for 5 min, then stir in the sesame oil. The sauce should taste savory and slightly sweet.

8. 8

   Dip the noodles into a pot of boiling water for 15 sec to warm them, drain well and divide among 4 bowls.

9. 9

   Top each bowl with sliced pork and bean sprouts, then spoon over just enough hot sauce to moisten the noodles. This is a dry-style noodle dish, not a soup.

10. 10

    Add the mint, basil, cilantro and lettuce, scatter the fried wonton strips on top, and set a lime wedge and a few chili slices on the side.

11. 11

    Toss everything together at the table and squeeze the lime over.

Imported from vnifood.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.