Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Phunky BBQ Pho with Pork -- 04/26/10

Phunky BBQ Pho with Pork

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus additional for drizzling
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder (boneless loin chops may also be used)
  • 2 quarts chicken broth, divided
  • 1 1/2-inch piece ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 large cloves garlic, sliced
  • Salt
  • 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
  • 1 small red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 1 lime
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
  • Sriracha hot sauce, for stirring in
  • Plum or hoisin sauce, for stirring in

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Preheat oven to 325°F.

For the braised pork: In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, about 1 turn of the pan. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Remove to a plate.

Pour a quart of chicken broth into the pot and scrape up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Place the pork shoulder back in the pot, put the lid on and put in the oven for 2 hours, until it's tender and falls apart when poked with a fork. Remove from oven, take the pork out of the pot and set it aside until cool enough to handle. Once cool, shred pork with two forks and strain the liquid into a soup pot.

Add to the soup, the remaining quart of stock and 2 cups of water. Then add ginger and garlic and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook pasta a couple of minutes in salted boiling water to al dente then drain, cool and dress with a drizzle of oil to keep noodles from sticking together.

Place red onions in small bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest off lime in a long curl or 2, then very thinly slice into small, thin strips. Cut the lime into wedges.

Turn a small bundle of noodles on a fork and place a bundle each in 4 deep soup bowls. Top with smoky pork strips and douse with a squirt of lime. Remove ginger and garlic from broth with a spider or slotted spoon. Ladle lots of hot, fragrant broth over pork and noodles. Add in onions, lime zest, sprouts, herbs and sauces as you like – I take mine with the works!