Rice Sticks with Barbecued Pork

This is one of my favorite recipes out of Steven Raichlen's High-Flavor Low-Fat Cooking cookbook. (See cookbook recommendations)

8 oz. rice sticks (1/4" side)
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 to 3 tsp. Thai chili paste (to taste)
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. fresh lime juice (or to taste)
2 cups bean sprouts
6 to 8 oz. chinese BBQ Pork or cooked chicken, shrimp or scallops
1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro
3 tbs. finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1 lime quartered

Soak rice sticks in cold water to cover for about 30 minutes. Heat stock in saucepan. Add sliced garlic. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add fish sauce, chili paste, sugar and lime juice. Taste. Add chili paste, lime juice and sugar to adjust seasoning.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Just before serving, drain the rice sticks and cook in boiling water for 1 minute, or until tender. Add the bean sprouts and cook 10 seconds. Drain noodles and bean sprouts and transfer to four large bowls. Arrange the BBQ Pork slices on top. Fill each bowl with broth and sprinkle with cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve at once with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.

BBQ Pork

3 pounds boneless lean pork cut in 2" by 6" strips
1/4 cup hoisin sauce or plum sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon sesame paste
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder
4 drops red food coloring

Combine all ingredients, mix well, cover and chill for 4-24 hours. Remove pork to a rack in a roasting pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn over and baste with remainder of marinade. Bake another 20 minutes or until pork is done.

Bean Thread Salad

4 ounces of bean thread vermicelli
2 T lime juice
1 T fish sauce
1 T sugar
1 t roasted sesame oil
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and chopped fine
3 scallions, chopped fine
1/2 small carrot, chopped fine
1/4 c cilantro, chopped fine
1/8 c mint, chopped fine

Bring a pot of water to boil. Pour over the vermicelli. Let it sit for a few minutes until it softens and becomes translucent. Drain water and rinse with cold water. Allow to drain. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to finish dissolving the sugar. Add the sesame oil.

In a serving bowl, combine the noodles, sauce, peanuts, scallions, carrot, cilantro and mint. Mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning and correct. For a spicy version, mince a jalapeno and add to taste to the sauce to before microwaving. Serves 4.

Laab

1 cup chicken stock
1/2 pound coarsely ground chicken or turkey (breast only)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
A handful of fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons roasted rice powder
1 tablespoon coarsely ground dried red chile (or hot green pepper)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
butter lettuce leaves

In a non-stick frying pan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the meat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often with a large spoon to break up the meat and cook it to fairly evenly. When the meat is cooked, remove the pan from the heat.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl, leaving most the of the liquid behind. Stir in the shallot, green onion, cilantro, and most of the mint, reserving a few leaves for a garnish. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, rice powder, chile, and sugar (if preferred); stir to combine everything well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed for a pleasing balance of sour, salty, and hot.

Roasted Rice Powder

Toast rice in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until "toasted". Watch carefully. Put in blender and blend until rice is "powder".

Asian Grilled Chicken

1 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons black bean paste
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1/2 cup minced scallions
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon liquid hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon peanut oil
6 chicken breast halves

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill for 2-4 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, drain well. Grill 5 minutes per side or until cooked or, bake @ 375 for 30 minutes (until juices run clear when pierced with a fork). Remove to a serving platter garnish as desired, serve hot. Serves 6.

Vietnamese Grilled Steak

1 pound thin chinese noodles
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup garlic puree
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon sambal ulek or crushed red chiles
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped mint or cilantro
4 boneless 8oz extra-lean beef steaks
3/4 cup bean sprouts, lightly blanched
1 cup seeded slivered red bell peppers

Simmer the pasta in boiling salted water until just tender drain, rinse in cold water, and drain well. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and fish sauce with 1 tablespoon water. Pour over the noodles, add the mint, and toss to mix well. Pat steaks dry with a kitchen towel, season with salt and pepper. Sear on a very hot grill for 3-4 minutes per side remove to a cutting board to rest for 5-6 minutes. Bias-sliced, across the grain, into thin strips. Lay a bed of noodles onto the center of a serving platter. Arrange the bean sprouts around the noodles. Place the red bell pepper atop the bean sprouts. Fan the steak on top of the noodles and garnish with fresh mint or cilantro as desired. Serve warm. Serves 4.

Tangerine-Peel Chicken

1 tbs. finely shredded tangerine or orange peel
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. water
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. rice wine or dry white wine
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Szechwan peppercorns crushed
1 tbs. cooking oil
2 cloves garlic minced
4 dried red chili peppers
12 green onions cut into 2-inch slivers
hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into thin bite-size strips. For sauce, in small bowl mix water, soy, wine, cornstarch, sugar and peppers. Heat wok and add oil. Stir fry chicken in halves. Return all chicken to wok and add garlic and chili peppers to wok. Stir fry. Add sauce. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Stir in green onion slivers and peel. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

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