Lemongrass Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowls

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thin-sliced pork shoulder marinated in a lemongrass-sugar paste, seared hard in a cast-iron grill pan until the edges caramelize, then piled over cool rice vermicelli with herbs, cucumber, pickled carrot and peanuts. The nuoc cham is the whole dish, so it's measured to the spoon — balanced sweet, salty, sour and just enough garlic heat to make you keep spooning it on.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed
• 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for the pan
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced (or 1/2 tsp chile-garlic sauce)

• 1 cup carrot, julienned
• 1 cup daikon radish, julienned
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 8 oz dried thin rice vermicelli (bún)
• 4 cups shredded green leaf or butter lettuce
• 1 English cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup cilantro sprigs
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely crushed
• 1/4 cup fried shallots
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Freeze the pork shoulder for 25–30 minutes until firm at the edges, then slice against the grain into pieces about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and 2 to 3 inches wide. Thin is the goal — thick slices won't caramelize before they dry out.
2. Make the marinade: thinly slice the bottom 4 inches of each lemongrass stalk, then pulse in a food processor with the shallot and garlic until finely minced, scraping down twice (or mince everything by hand very fine — lemongrass fibers are tough). Add the sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, neutral oil, sesame oil and black pepper and pulse to a loose paste.
3. Toss the pork with the marinade in a bowl or zip-top bag until every slice is coated. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Let it sit at room temperature 20 minutes before cooking.
4. Pickle the vegetables: whisk the rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and salt in a bowl until dissolved, add the carrot and daikon, and press down so they're submerged. Let sit at least 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing once. Drain before serving.
5. Mix the nuoc cham: stir the warm water and 1/4 cup sugar until fully dissolved, then add the fish sauce, lime juice, minced garlic and chile. Taste — it should be bright and clearly sweet-salty-sour, not harsh. If it stings, add 1–2 tbsp more water. Set aside at room temperature.
6. Cook the vermicelli in a large pot of boiling unsalted water for 3–5 minutes, until fully tender with no chalky core. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water, tossing with your hands until cold, then drain very well for 10 minutes. Fluff into 4 loose nests.
7. Heat a cast-iron grill pan (or heavy skillet) over medium-high for 4–5 minutes until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly. Brush lightly with oil and turn on your vent hood — the sugar in the marinade will smoke.
8. Lay pork slices in a single layer with space between them, scraping off any thick clumps of lemongrass so they don't burn. Sear undisturbed 2–3 minutes until the underside is deeply browned with charred edges, then flip and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat in 3 batches, wiping the pan and re-oiling between batches if it darkens. Rest the pork 5 minutes.
9. Build the bowls: divide the lettuce, cucumber and bean sprouts among 4 wide bowls, add a nest of vermicelli, then pile on the pork. Top with drained pickles, mint, cilantro, crushed peanuts and fried shallots.
10. Serve each bowl with about 1/3 cup nuoc cham in a small dish or poured directly over, plus a lime wedge. Toss everything together at the table before eating so the dressing coats the noodles.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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