Thai Curried Noodles With Pork and Basil
July 17, 2010
Thai Curried Noodles With Pork and Basil (recipe by Food & Wine Magazine, August 2010)
My notes: This recipe came out of a quirky little article in Food & Wine Magazine titled “A Lesson in Pairing Scents,” which pairs a floral arrangement with both a wine and a main dish. I have to admit I kind of rolled my eyes because I’m lucky to put together even a food and wine pairing (although I’m getting better.) However, I am a gardener so I do appreciate flowers and the art of arranging them. I was really excited about this dish because we are a noodle loving household, but I had no inkling how the flavors would come together. Overall we liked it, but felt the amount of red curry and sriracha overpowered the Thai basil and other flavors. I guess the heat was a little much for us, but the fresh Chinese egg noodles in it are really nice! Next time I personally would take the heat down a notch and add more pork.
Another Idea
Here’s another recipe to use up Thai basil: Michael’s Crazy Chicken Noodle Stir Fry. Also check out my top 9 recipes that use fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 large lemongrass stalks, tender inner bulbs only, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chile sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 10 ounces fresh thin egg noodles, preferably Chinese
- 1/2 cup chopped basil, preferably Thai
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a plate. Reserve the carrot cooking water.
In a mini food processor, puree the lemongrass with the ginger and sugar.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden brown. Add the lemongrass mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and reduce the heat to moderate. Stir in the red curry paste, Sriracha and lime juice and turn off the heat.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles until al dente; drain well. Add the noodles, carrots and carrot cooking water to the skillet and toss over moderate heat until the noodles are thoroughly coated. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and serve.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to review: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
Porchetta-Style Roast Pork
June 16, 2010
Porchetta-Style Roast Pork (recipe by Bon Appetit, June 2010)
My notes: Pork shoulder is one of those chefs’ secret cuts of meat that is inexpensive and tastes delicious. Even when it’s not on sale, it’s only about $2.00/pound at my grocery store.
With little effort the roast pork came out of the oven looking beautiful, and it worked well as both a main dish and for pulled pork sandwiches. I made it a second time with a bone-in roast in a roasting pan and that worked great too. It fell rights off the bone when I started cutting it.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 5 1/2- to 6-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), excess fat trimmed with thin layer left intact
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
Preparation
Stir fennel seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to spice mill and cool. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and dried crushed red pepper. Grind to medium-fine consistency (not powder).
Place pork in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub garlic all over pork, then coat with spice mixture. Loosely cover pork with waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place roast, fat side up and coating intact, in center of sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board; reserve baking sheet. Let pork rest 15 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour all pan juices into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to top. Place reserved baking sheet across 2 burners. Pour wine and broth onto baking sheet and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and whisk to blend. Pour pan sauce into small bowl (sauce will be thin).
Thinly slice roast. Serve with sauce.
Serving Idea
Serve it with Jim ‘N Nick’s Coleslaw.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to review: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
