Vietnamese Pork and Mango Salad
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
1 kilogram piece pork loin, skin removed and excess fat trimmed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Dressing
1 stalk lemongrass
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
3 coriander roots, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
flesh of ½ a mango, puréed
Salad
200 grams rice vermicelli noodles
300 grams green beans, sliced and blanched
200 grams bean sprouts
1½ mangoes, diced
3 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
2 kaffir lime leaves, very finely chopped
small bunch coriander, chopped
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Season the pork and place in a baking dish with ½ cup water. Roast for about 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when tested with a skewer. Cool.
Dressing: Remove the tough outer leaves from the lemongrass and finely chop the tender heart. Put the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coriander roots, garlic, chilli and salt in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste. Tip into a large bowl and stir in the remaining dressing ingredients. Adjust with more fish sauce, lime juice or chilli to taste.
Salad: Soak the noodles in boiling water until soft. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon each of sesame oil and fish sauce.
To serve: Scatter the noodles over the base of a serving platter. Slice the pork into thin strips and stir through the dressing. Add all the salad ingredients and toss well. Pile on top of the noodles and garnish with extra coriander.

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