Tasting Notes

Dinner for two.

The pork loin skewers, a bit of smoky char, coated in a flavoursome glaze, the noodle salad, slightly spicy, refreshing, bright, sweet and sour.

The Pork Loin Marinade – Equipment, What You Need, Method

1 deep pan large enough to hold your pork loin.

I plate.

I BBQ brush.

2 metal or wooden skewers, using wooden skewers require they be soaked in lukewarm water for about 15 to avoid them burning when on the BBQ.

1 pound pork tenderloin

3 tablespoons fish sauce.

2 tablespoons soya sauce.

2 tablespoons oyster sauce.

3 tablespoons honey.

1 shallot, finely diced.

1 medium-sized garlic clove, finely diced.

Mix all the ingredients well in the pan that will hold the pork tenderloin, then add the pork. Cover the pan with Saran Wrap and place into your refrigerator for up to 24 hours or 4 hours minimum. Move the meat around every once in a while to ensure that all parts of it are soaking in the marinade.

Once done take the meat out of the marinade and dry it with paper towels. Set aside on a plate and keep the marinade in the pan.

Take your meat and cut into bite-sized portions and then thread it on the skewers. Return the meat to the plate and put the skewers on a pre-heated BBQ of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 5 minutes, flip, cooking for another 5 minutes, and basting all sides with the reserved marinade. At the 10 minute mark, turn off the BBQ, open the lid till the temperature is down to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and then close the lid, letting the meat rest for 6 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the kabobs.
Your now ready to serve by removing the kabobs from the skewers.

Making The Nước chấm Sauce – Equipment, What You Need, Method

1 medium bowl.

1 small whisk.

4 tablespoons granulated sugar.
1/2 cup fresh lime juice.
6 tablespoons fish sauce.
2 garlic cloves, minced.
2 bird’s-eye chillies, cut each in in half, remove the seeds and set them aside. Now cut the chillies into small pieces.
Put all the ingredients into the bowl, except the seeds, mix well. Taste, the sauce and see if you like it or if you want more heat. We like heat so we add a few of the seeds into the sauce until it’s to our liking. Set the sauce aside. There is enough sauce for another dish – this sauce goes with a lot of other dishes, chicken, vegetables, etc.

Making Your Peanut Sauce – Equipment, What You Need, Method

1 medium bowl.

1/2 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon soya sauce.

3 tablespoons of either soft or crunchy peanut butter.

3 tablespoons regular milk.

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder.

Mix the lime juice, honey, soy sauce, chilli powder and peanut butter in a small bowl. Add your milk. Mix well till you have a smooth paste-like mixture. If still too stiff add a splash water. Mix well. Set aside.

Cooking Your Rice Noodles – Equipment, What You Need, Method

1 large bowl.

1 kettle or large pot.

1 colander.

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Set aside.

1/2 large cucumber, peel half of the skin off, then cut into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

1 package dried vermicelli rice noodles

In your kettle or large pot add enough water so that the rice noodles will be fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil.

In the meantime add your noodles into the bowl and pour your boiling water over the them. Let sit for 6 to 8 minutes. At the 5 minute mark taste the noodles, they are ready when they have a bit of an al dente texture them. Drain them through a colander.

Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, half of the nước chấm sauce, then the noodles, taste and add more sauce and salt if needed.

You are now ready to serve. Use the peanut and and the nước chấm sauce, for dipping with the pork kabobs.

Delicioso