Serves:2
Preparation time:15 minutes
Cooking time:25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 bundles of Chang's Vermicelli Rice Noodles
- 3 small truss tomatoes
- 2 spring onions (white and green parts)
- 1/2 tbsp of salted butter
- 250 grams of non-lean pork mince (or a beef and pork mince blend)
- 1 tbsp Chang's Gluten Free Tamari Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander (chopped fine)
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber or 1 quarter continental cucumber (seeds removed)
- 1 spring onion (for garnish)
Method:
- Prepare the garnish.
Slice the spring onion in rounds or strips for garnish and set aside. The garnish may be soaked in ice water to remove the raw onion ‘bite’ if preferred.
Cut the cucumber in half, remove the seeds, shred with a box grater and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside. - Make the fresh tomato butter sauce.
Blend tomatoes and two spring onions with a pinch of salt using a countertop or immersion blender.
Transfer the blended tomato to a small saucepan and heat on medium until reduced by half.
Add cold butter and whisk vigorously with a wire whip or immersion blender until emulsified.
Add a small pinch of chopped coriander (optional) and set aside.
The sauce may be served as a brothy base or reduced over a medium-low flame for ten minutes, stirring to avoid sticking, for a thicker texture. - Prepare the pork sauce mixture.
Mix together Chang’s Gluten Free Tamari Light Soy Sauce, honey and tomato paste and set aside. - Cook the pork mince.
Brown the pork mince in a medium fry pan, breaking it down with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Let it cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then mix and flip so the pan makes contact with the uncooked mince. Cook for a further two minutes.
This step aims for the ‘Maillard reaction’, which develops brown colour and complex flavour. Allowing the mince to come to room temperature beforehand assists browning.
Continue cooking until the water has ‘burned off’ and darker charred parts appear.
Add the prepared sauce mixture and stir through the mince. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and caramelises.
Add a pinch of coriander (optional). - Cook the noodles.
Cook Chang’s Vermicelli Rice Noodles according to the packet instructions. - Assemble the bowls.
Add a ladle of fresh tomato butter sauce to each bowl and top with a bundle of Chang’s Vermicelli Rice Noodles.
Spoon hot caramelised pork mince over the top and finish with shredded cucumber, fresh coriander and spring onion.
Mix well and enjoy!
