Rice Noodles With Seared Pork, Carrots and Herbs

By Genevieve Ko

Updated May 25, 2021

Rice Noodles With Seared Pork, Carrots and Herbs
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(973)
Comments
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Vietnamese-style marinated pork chops are often served whole with rice noodles, herbs and a dipping sauce. This version mixes all the components, infusing the noodles, sliced meat and vegetables with the sauce and keeping the noodles tender even after a day in the fridge. Dark, robust maple syrup takes the place of the traditional dark caramel in a nod to autumn (and as a weeknight shortcut to save you the hassle of browning sugar). The pork takes only a few minutes to cook, the noodles about 3, so this whole dish comes together really fast.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • ⅓cup fish sauce
  • ¼cup dark, pure maple syrup
  • 2tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • Black pepper
  • 2large shallots, thinly sliced (¾ cup)
  • 1long red finger chile, thinly sliced (⅓ cup)
  • 3small garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
  • 4thin (½-inch) boneless pork chops (¾ to 1 pound total)
  • ⅓cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
  • 3carrots, peeled and julienned (2 cups)
  • Kosher salt
  • 8 to 9ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles
  • 2packed cups torn fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill (2½ ounces), plus more for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

460 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1419 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk the fish sauce, syrup, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the shallots, chile and garlic. Transfer 2 tablespoons liquid to a large shallow dish and add the pork. Turn to evenly coat and let stand until ready to cook.

  2. Step 2

    Stir the lime juice into the sauce in the bowl. Add the carrots and toss until evenly coated. Let stand.

  3. Step 3

    Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork and cook, turning once, until seared and just rosy in the center, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let stand.

  4. Step 4

    Put the noodles in the boiling water, stir well, and remove from the heat. Let stand until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain very well, then transfer to the sauce in the bowl. Toss until evenly coated.

  5. Step 5

    Cut the pork into thin slices and add to the noodles with any accumulated juices. Toss well. Toss in the herbs until well mixed. The mixture may look a bit soupy. As it sits and cools, the noodles will absorb the liquid. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold, with more herbs and lime wedges.

Tip
  • The noodles can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 3 days. You can toss in the herbs right before serving if you prefer a fresher bite.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
973 user ratings
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Comments

Susan

If you slice the pork raw, you won't have the beautiful medium-rare, tender, rosy center and you'll give up the texture and flavor that comes from searing.

SugarFree

12 to 16 ounces of pork serves "4 to 6" - who? Children? This recipe would make exactly 2 servings for me, though I'd cut the noodle amount in half. Also, if the pork is boneless, why not freeze 15 minutes, then easily slice raw as thinly as you like, then cook it and be done. Half the time to cook, with no fussing with still hot slabs of meat.

Susan Guthrie

I made this two days ago and I'll be making it again this week. I used a mixture of cilantro, mint and flat leaf parsley. I might add more carrots next time as they were wonderful with the noodles. Sauce is just right. Cold leftovers were a fantastic midnight snack.

Eliza

This was great and I’ll definitely make it again. The 20 minute prep time might be true if you have a sous-chef prepping herbs, julienning carrots, mincing garlic, slicing shallots…, but otherwise count on quite a bit longer. Easy but not super quick.

Josh J.

Love this dish. I’ve made it several times since i saved it earlier this year. The leftovers make a great office lunch as well! Two quick short cuts. 1. I use a tea kettle to boil the water for the noodles. It saves time and doesn’t heat up my kitchen during muggy New England summers. 2. I use a box grater for the carrots. So much easier and less fussy than julienning them.

Eva Dewar

Good recipe begging to be tweaked to super. Similar to Vietnamese grilled pork with noodles- Bún Thịt Nướng. I guess the maple syrup is supposed to substitute for Carmel sauce, but I don't think it works. NYT is so fond of obscuring the simplest detail by calling for some rare and elusive ingredient that adds nothing, but here it does. You can make it cheaply in advance for a summer of delish grilled food. See HungryHua for details. Also definitely benefits from a bed of green and additional veg: radish, cuke, snow/sugar peas, whatever

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