Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Rice Noodle Salad

Since this is my blog and I can write about whatever I want to I decided to add a recipe I made for our Father's Day Dinner. I got it from the June 2007 Cooking Light magazine. The recipe is for Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Rice Noodle Salad and it was very good. Here you go:

Dressing:
3/4 cup water
4 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar
3 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbs fish sauce (usually found in the asian section of supermarkets)
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 tsp Sriracha (hot chili sauce, such as Huy Fong, usually in the Asian section but not always. I had to buy some off of a local Pho restaurant.)
3 gloves garlic, minced

Salad:
1 (6-ounce) package rice vermicelli
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 Tbs brown sugar
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced red leaf lettuce
1 cup matchstick cut peeled English cucumber
1 cup matchstick cut carrot
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
Lime wedges (optional)

1.) To prepare dressing, combine the 1st 8 ingredients in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool.

2.) To prepare salad, place vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.

3.) prepare grill.

4.) Chef Todd would leave the tenderloin uncut and grill it that way. The recipe call for quartering the loin and it seemed a little too thin to me*. A.) Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise. B.) Cut each piece in half crosswise. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine 2 tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp Sriracha; drizzle over pork. Sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pat brown sugar onto pork.

5.) Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray or vegetable oil (I assume to prevent the brown sugar and loin from sticking). Grill 12 minutes or until slightly pink in the center (obviously grill longer if using a full uncut loin), turning pieces occasionally to prevent burning. Place pork on cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into very thin slices.

6.) Combine vermicelli, lettuce and next 6 ingredients (through mint) in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss well. Top with pork and nuts. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Don't be scared of the fish sauce it adds great flavor and you will never notice it. Sriracha is hot so it does add a little kick. Not that bad but if you are a total wimp use less Sriracha. I love Sriracha and would probably add a little more post cooking.