Category
Pork is good for you!
Author:
Smitten Kitchen
This recipe takes a while to make, but to me, it was definitely worth it. Enjoy!
Ingredients
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1 lb. solid piece Circle B Ranch pork butt (shoulder) or pork tenderloin
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Chinese rice wine or sake
1 Tbsp. finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
6 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1-inch chunk ginger, peeled & sliced
4 Tbsp. natural unsalted peanut butter
2 tsp. sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne
8 oz. very thin bean-thread noodles (also called cellophane, glass, or mung bean noodles)
¾ lb. Chinese long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally 1/8-inch thick
1 bunch scallions, cut into matchsticks
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
2 thin carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
½ cup loosely packed fresh small basil leaves
For the Pork
For the Peanut Dressing (from New York Times)
For the Salad
Directions
Prepare the Pork
Cut pork along the grain into long 1 ½ to 2-inch-wide strips. Remove and discard any sinew but do not trim fat. Transfer pork to a large sealable plastic bag. Stir together remaining pork ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Add to pork and turn to coat, then squeeze bag to eliminate as much air as possible and seal. Marinate pork, chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 24.
Roast the Pork
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 375° F. Put ½ inch water in a 13x9-inch roasting pan and place a metal rack across top of pan (rack should not touch water). Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange pork strips 1 inch apart on rack. Roast in oven 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Brush both sides of pork with some marinade and roast 10 minutes more. Generously brush both sides of pork with marinade again and roast, basting at least 2 or 3 times, 10 minutes more (try to brush it enough times to use up the marinade).
Increase oven temperature to 400° F and roast pork until strips are mahogany-colored and caramelized on edges, 10 to 15 minutes more (pork shoulder will need the most time, tenderloin the least; total cooking time will be about 50 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.
Make the Peanut Dressing
In a blender or small food processor, puree all dressing ingredients into a smooth sauce, about the thickness of heavy cream.
Cook the Noodles & Beans
While the pork roasts, soak noodles in cold water (enough to cover) until pliable, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander. Cut noodles in half with kitchen shears.
Cook beans in a 5 to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer or slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain noodles again, then spread out on paper towels and pat dry.
To Assemble the Salad
Cut as much pork as desired for salad across the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Toss noodles with ¼ cup dressing in a bowl. Toss long beans with 2 Tbsp. dressing in another bowl. Arrange pork, noodles, beans, and remaining salad ingredients on a large platter. Drizzle with some of the dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side.