Cook up this easy Vietnamese caramelised pork
In 2009, foodies around the world were shocked when Condé Nast’s Gourmet magazine was suddenly closed. The most stunned was its longstanding editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl, who quickly realised that she wasn’t sure what the future held for her. In an effort to process that reality she turned to the kitchen, seeking to heal her emotions through cooking. My Kitchen Year follows Ruth through the course of her challenging year over four seasons and 136 recipes – recipes that represent her life-long passion for food. Throughout the book you’ll find a perfect pound cake for autumn, a decadent grilled cheese for winter, rhubarb sundaes for spring and this recipe for easy Vietnamese caramelised pork for summer.
INGREDIENTS
2 Armenian cucumbers (snake cucumbers)
350 g pork tenderloin
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
mint
basil
peanuts
1 lime
Sriracha sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
salt
ginger
vegetable or peanut oil
1 small onion (sliced thin)
1 clove garlic (smashed)
1 tablespoon white sugar, divided
pepper
rice
TO MAKE
Pour the rice vinegar into a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and one teaspoon of sugar. Slice the Armenian cucumbers into thin rounds, along with a small knob of ginger. Put them into the vinegar and allow the flavours to mingle while you make the pork.
Slice the pork tenderloin very thin (this is easiest if you put the meat in the freezer for half an hour to get it very cold before slicing). It can be difficult to find small tenderloins – when I end up with more meat than I need, I chop the remainder and save it for another dish.
Get a wok so hot that a drop of water dances on the surface and then disappears. Add a couple of tablespoons of peanut or neutral oil and immediately toss in the onion and the smashed garlic. As soon as it’s fragrant, add the pork and three teaspoons of sugar and stir-fry, tossing every few minutes, for ten to 15 minutes, until the pork has crisped into delicious little bits.
Take the wok off the heat and stir in the fish sauce – it should become completely absorbed. Grind in a lot of black pepper.
Remove the ginger from the cucumbers and mix the cucumbers into the pork. Whether you want to add the marinade is up to you – I like the taste of vinegar, but you might prefer your meat completely dry.
Serve with rice. Put fresh mint and basil leaves on the table, along with crushed peanuts, lime wedges and Sriracha, and allow each diner to make a mixture that appeals to them.
This will feed two people very generously. Unless you have a very large wok and a ferocious source of heat, the recipe does not double well; you want the pork to get really crisp.
Serves two.
Recipe and image from My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl. Published by Murdoch Books.
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