Lemongrass Minced Pork Vermicelli - Bún Thịt Băm Xào Sả
Ingredients
- 2 nests 0.8 mm rice vermicelli
- ¾ tablespoon brown sugar
- 11/2 tablespoons premium fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 15 g 1/2 oz lemongrass, stalk halved and bashed
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 60 g (2 oz) daikon, quartered and thinly sliced
- 250 g (9 oz) minced (ground) pork
- 4 spring onions, scallions, sliced
- 20 g (3/4 oz) Thai basil leaves
- juice of 1/2 lime
- pickles, ferments and steamed vegetables, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Put the noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water, then set aside to soak for 10 minutes. Drain, then leave in the colander, covered, for 10 minutes to dry and fluff up.
- Mix together the sugar and fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and brown the onions and lemongrass for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the daikon. Stir for 1 minute, then add the pork and use a spatula to spread out and break up the meat.
- Add the sugar and fish sauce mixture and stir-fry for 3–5 minutes until cooked through, then throw in the spring onions. The green is such a delightful sight! Cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, add the Thai basil, and fold together.
- To serve, divide the noodles between bowls and scoop the minced pork over the noodles. Squeeze over the lime juice. Serve with pickles, ferments, and any steamed vegetables you like.
Notes
If you can’t find Thai basil, use coriander (cilantro) instead. This is also great with fresh ginger if you don’t have lemongrass. Use regular radishes if you can’t get daikon. You can also use ground (minced) chicken.