Pho chua Lang Son is a tossed bowl with layers of sour, sweet and crunchy. The pork shoulder is boiled, marinated with char siu powder, then seared until the surface catches color. The tricky part is timing the noodles.
The rice noodles need exactly 30 seconds in hot water and an immediate cold rinse, which keeps the strands loose. The sauce is thickened with tapioca starch dissolved in water, and shredded sweet potato is fried until golden and scattered over the top.
This batch weighs about 1.3kg, at roughly 148 calories per 100g. It suits a light lunch on a hot day. Toss well and eat it right away while it is still cool.
Method
Slice the chili finely and mince the peeled garlic. Fry the sausage and the Chinese sausage until golden, then slice thin. Rinse the cucumber and slice it thin.
Bring water to a boil and turn off the heat. Blanch the pho rice noodle for 30 seconds until just tender, drain, then rinse under cold water.
Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Rub the pork shoulder with 1/2 teaspoon salt and boil for about 10 minutes until cooked through.
Marinate the boiled pork with 1 teaspoon char siu powder, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon fish sauce for 20 to 30 minutes. Sear over low heat until the surface browns, then lift out.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon tapioca starch in 2 teaspoons water.
Put 1 bowl of water in a pot with 2 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Pour in the dissolved tapioca starch slowly and stir until the sauce thickens. Add 1/2 teaspoon char siu powder, the chili and the minced garlic, then turn off the heat.
Peel the sweet potato, shred it fine and deep fry over low heat until golden and crisp, then lift out. Keep the stirring to a minimum.
Slice the char siu pork very thin. Put the rice noodles, fried sweet potato, cucumber, pork, sausage, Chinese sausage and 50g crushed roasted peanuts in a large bowl, then spoon the sauce over the top.
Tips
A thinner sauce works just as well, so the tapioca starch step can be skipped.
Exactly 30 seconds in hot water followed by a cold rinse keeps the noodle strands from clumping.
Shredded sweet potato has to be completely dry before it hits the oil, as any moisture spits and turns the strands soggy.
Low heat and very little stirring let the sweet potato strands hold their shape.
A quick stir just before serving lifts the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend that settles at the bottom of the sauce.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.