Spice-Simmered Pork Bánh-Mì-Style Salad
- 1 (4-ounce) baguette
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and halved crosswise
- 4 (1/2-inch) slices fresh ginger
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise pod
- 8 ounces radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber cut into 3-inch sections, sliced thinly
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large ripe tomato, sliced
- 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 serrano chiles, minced
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems trimmed
- 4 green onions, split lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Tear the baguette into bite-sized chunks. Be deliberately inconsistent.
- Heat a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the bread a few chunks at a time, and toast 1 1/2 minutes or to the point of being slightly charred, stirring frequently.
- Do this in 2 batches. Set the toasted bread aside in a single layer for now.
- CHAR THE VEGETABLES
- In the pan you cooked the bread in, add the yellow onion, cut sides down, and cook 2 minutes to char the surface. Remove the onion and set it aside.
- Go back to the pan you charred the onion in. Heat to high again. Slightly char the ginger, about 1 minute.
- SIMMER THE PORK
- In a 3-quart saucepan, add the pork tenderloin and the beef broth, along with the sugar and salt. Add the cinnamon stick, the star anise, and the charred yellow onion and ginger. Bring to a slight simmer, so slight that the pot bubbles every four or five seconds.
- Simmer the pork for about 20 minutes, very gently.
- Remove the pork from the liquid and place it on a plate to rest for a moment. Leave the broth in the pan on the stove. You'll need it in a few.
- While the pork simmers, prep all of your vegetables for the salad.
- MAKE THE SALAD
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the radishes, the carrots, the cucumber, the red onion, and the tomatoes. Add the mayonnaise, the lime juice, the serrano chiles, and 1 tablespoon of water. Toss the vegetables to evenly coat.
- Let this mixture marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- NOW, THE FINISHING TOUCHES
- Now, return to the pork tenderloin. Using your hands, hand-pull into long strands. Use a fork to assist the process if necessary.
- Toss the pork with the marinated vegetable mixture. Add a few spoonfuls of the simmering broth. Toss again.
- At service time, add the cilantro and the green onions. Those are your "greens."
- At the last moment, add the charred bread. Toss and plate or platter.
- Serve with side bowls of the hot broth for dipping the bread. Serve with Mad Fresh Sriracha.
baguette, yellow onion, ginger, pork tenderloin, lower, sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, anise pod, radishes, carrots, cucumber, red onion, tomato, canola mayonnaise, lime juice, serrano chiles, water, fresh cilantro, green onions
Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spice-simmered-pork-salad (may not work)