pork & soba noodle salad

Happy unofficial start to summer!

I hope you had a wonderful MDW. I was lucky enough to spend the first half of it celebrating my #1 bestie getting married. We did a very fun and low key bachelorette on Thursday, and then her wedding was Saturday! Congrats Sheila and Joe!

Then the GS and I made it out to camp for the remainder of the long weekend for some family fun. One of the perks of having an enormous family: you can create your own golf tournament. 16 of us got out there and sloshed our way around for 18 holes.

We’ll invite you next year, Alice.

I actually made this dish the night before we left Baltimore and we both loved it and agreed that it can be served at any temperature. So that makes it the perfect summer meal.

Vietnamese Pork & Soba Noodle Salad

adapted from NY Times Cooking

1 pork tenderloin*

1/2 cup fish sauce

juice and zest of 3 limes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 cucumber

6-8 radishes

bunch scallions

bunch cilantro

*The original recipe actually called for flank steak, but my grocery store didn’t have it. You can really use whatever protein you want here.

Assemble the marinade: fish sauce, lime juice and zest, garlic, and jalapeno. I removed the ribs and seeds from my jalapeno and actually wish I hadn’t because it didn’t have enough heat. Your call.

Pour half of the marinade over the meat, and reserve the other half. Obviously I sous vide my pork tenderloin because I won’t eat it any other way, but I won’t say any more on that other than if you don’t your grill time is obviously longer. Your meat should marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

I used a mandolin to slice my radishes and cucumber nice and thin. Then chopped the scallions and the cilantro.

When you’re ready to eat, throw the meat on the grill. Cook the soba noodles (or rice noodles, ramen, whatever you have) according to package directions. Toss the rest of the marinade with the noodles, and add your veggies.