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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

Need to make a substitution?

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.

Takashi's Noodles