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Grilled Pork with Green Papaya Salad and Rice Noodles

This Southeast Asian–influenced dish is perfect for summer dining: it is light and refreshing, with tangy sweet-and-sour flavors. I love green papaya, an ingredient that has an appealing crunch and natural sweetness. Lemongrass, another one of my favorite Southeast Asian ingredients, adds a wonderful lemony fragrance. I cook with both at my restaurant.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

Pork Marinade

1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 (8-inch) piece lemongrass, halved and smashed
1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons sake
Pinch each of salt and pepper
4 teaspoons sugar
12 ounces pork loin, thinly sliced

Green Papaya Salad

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced jicama
1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced green papaya

Dressing

6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
1 teaspoon nam pla (fish sauce)
10 ounces dried rice noodles
4 cups butter lettuce or other leafy greens
4 sprigs cilantro
4 teaspoons chopped toasted peanuts

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the pork and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

    Step 2

    In the meantime, to prepare the green papaya salad, place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.

    Step 3

    To prepare the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine thoroughly.

    Step 4

    Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Add the pork and cook on each side for 1 minute, or until cooked through. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.

    Step 5

    Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook, following package instructions. Drain well.

    Step 6

    To assemble, arrange 1 cup of lettuce on each of 4 plates. Divide the noodles among the plates and place on top of the lettuce. Add one-fourth of the green papaya salad and pork to each plate. Garnish with the cilantro and toasted peanuts.

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