Noodle salad with lemongrass pork patties

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims/non-pork eaters.

Enjoy these fragrant pork patties in the summer. They’re ideal if you only have a small barbecue as they don’t take up much room on the grill and cook quickly

Prep:45 mins
Cook:20 mins

Serves 6
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 316
fat 12g
saturates 4g
carbs 30g
sugars 0g
fibre 3g
protein 19g
salt 1.85g

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece of ginger
stalks from a small bunch of coriander , leaves reserved for the salad
2 sticks of lemongrass
1 red chilli , (deseeded if you like)
1 small bunch of spring onions , white parts and green parts separated
500g pork mince
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
sunflower oil , for barbecuing
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce , plus extra to serve
2 limes , 1 zested, both juiced
4 nests of rice vermicelli noodles
2 handfuls of ready-to-eat beansprouts
2 carrots , finely shredded or peeled into ribbons
handful of green beans , topped and tailed and finely sliced
large handful of roasted peanuts , roughly chopped, to serve

Method

To make the patties, put the garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, lemongrass, chilli and whites from the spring onions onto a board and keep chopping with a large knife until as finely chopped as possible – you can also use a mini food processor for this. Tip into a bowl and add the pork mince, fish sauce and soy sauce and scrunch everything together with your hands until fully combined. Split into 12 and shape into balls, then flatten into small patty shapes. Move to a tray, cover and chill until ready to cook. Will keep chilled for a day.
To make the dressing whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. For the salad, cook the noodles following pack instructions, then rinse under cold water and drain well. Toss the noodles with the beansprouts, carrots, green beans, green parts of the spring onions and most of the reserved coriander leaves. The dressing can be made up to two days ahead and kept chilled, and the salad ingredients can be tossed together then covered and chilled the day before.
To cook the pork patties, heat the barbecue until the coals are glowing orange with a grey ash on them. Drizzle and rub the patties with a little oil, then cook them on the bars of the barbecue for 4-5 mins on each side, until lightly charred and cooked all the way through. While the pork is cooking, drizzle the noodles and veg with most of the dressing and toss until everything is coated, then pile onto a platter. Lift the patties off the barbecue straight onto the noodles, drizzle with the rest of the dressing, scatter with the rest of the coriander and the peanuts. Serve with sweet chilli sauce on the side, if you like.