2004-06-27

The Sauce:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (I used a jar of Mrs. Renfro's jalapeno peppers)
1 tbsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 large or 2 medium shallots, minced
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/3 c. unsweetened coconut milk
3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
3 tbsp. Asian fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. brown sugar
ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oil in wok or pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapenos, ginger and shallots and cook to golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to caramelize the garlic and shallots without burning them.

Stir in the peanut butter and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer the sauce until thick, 3 to 5 minutes, whisking to blend the ingredients. If the sauce is too thick (it should be pourable), add a little water. Taste for seasoning, adding extra fish sauce, lime juice and/or brown sugar as necessary. Can be stored in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The meat:

Grill a couple of boneless pork chops with just salt and pepper for seasonings.

The noodles:

I bought an 8 ounce package of Saifun Bean Threads (use 1/2 for 2 people for a large bowl of noodles). You can use any type of noodle that you like. Follow the directions on the back of your package to prepare them. Then let them cool.

The extras (as much as you like of each):

More chopped cilantro
fresh carrots, sliced how you like them
bean sprouts

The meal:

Put the cooled noodles in each person's bowl, top with the cooked and sliced-thin pork. Ladle a generous amount of the sauce over the top and garnish with the bean sprouts, carrots and cilantro.

The sauce recipe is from the "How to Grill" Cookbook by Steven Raichlen. The rest is stuff I just thought would taste pretty darned good together.