Minced Pork with Lemongrass and Shrimp Sauce

Name: Minced Pork with Lemongrass and Shrimp Sauce
Yield: serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients: 1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil; 1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes; 4 large cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 pound ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen; 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into pea-sized pieces; 3 hefty or 5 medium stalks lemongrass, trimmed and minced (about 1 cup); 4 teaspoons sugar; 2 tablespoons fine shrimp sauce diluted with 1/4 cup water; 2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted (page 332); 1 small English cucumber or 2 pickling (Kirby) cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced

December 14, 2011

This recipe is my re-creation of a dish prepared by Le Thang, the chef and owner of the now-defunct Dong Ba restaurant in Little Saigon in Westminster, California. The modest eatery, named after the famous outdoor market in Hue, showcased the rustic dishes of central Vietnam, and although the mì Quang noodle soup and bánh bèo chén (rice pancakes steamed in small bowls) were superb, the minced pork was my favorite. Conceptually, this dish is similar to the recipe for Caramelized Minced Pork (page 131), but it takes on a distinctive central Vietnamese character from the bold use of lemongrass, chile, garlic, and shrimp sauce. Indeed, the generous amount of lemongrass acts as more of a main ingredient than a seasoning, while the chopped shrimp, roasted peanuts, and toasted sesame seeds add layers of flavor and texture. The result is salty, sweet, spicy, rich, and dangerously addictive. Enjoy this dish with plenty of rice, adding some cucumber to each bite for a cool and crunchy contrast.

Recipe notes

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