Pork is given an Asian flavour in this honey and sesame salad. Photo / Doug Sherring
Serves 4
400g diced lean pork pieces
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
3 tomatoes
2 spring onions
Rice noodles or vermicelli
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 Mix the chilli and ginger with 3 tablespoons of liquid honey, a tablespoon of sesame oil and a tablespoon of a light oil such as grapeseed or rice bran.
2 Toss the pork through this mix and leave to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3 Finely slice the peppers.
4 Dice tomatoes, removing seeds but leaving skin on.
5 Pick over half a cup of each of these fresh herbs: mint, basil, coriander and Vietnamese mint.
6 Finely chop the spring onions. Toss all these ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
7 Cook off the noodles by blanching in boiling water. Cool by running cold water through them and allow to drain. You need around 2 cups of cooked noodles.
8 Toast sesame seeds.
To assemble
In a heavy pan sear the pork and remove to a medium oven for 10 mins to finish cooking. Make sure all the chilli and ginger is cooked with the pork pieces.
Mix the salad and the noodles together and set out on a serving platter or on individual plates.
Sit the cooked pork on top of this, tipping any juices over the salad.
Splash another tablespoon of sesame oil and squeeze a lemon or lime across the ingredients.
Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.
‘Mum had lived and died with this secret,’ says writer Mary Garden.