Cao Lầu

Name: Cao Lầu
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 500g Pork Shoulder, trimmed; 3 cloves of Garlic, minced; 2 Shallots, minced; 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Five-Spice Powder; 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1 tbsp Neutral Oil; 100g Pork Bones; 1.2 l Water; 1 small Onion, halved; 20g Ginger, smashed; 2 Star Anises; 1 small stick of Cinnamon Stick; 10g Rock Sugar; 2 tbsp Fish Sauce; 600g Cao Lau Noodles, fresh; 200g Bean Sprouts; 1 small Romaine Lettuce, shredded; 1 cup Mint, leaves; 1 cup Vietnamese Basil, leaves; 1/2 cups Cilantro, leaves; 2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced; 1 large Sesame Rice Cracker, broken into shards; 150g Pork Fatback, diced for cracklings; 1 small Lime, cut into wedges; 2 Bird's Eye Chilies, thinly sliced

Cao Lầu is a fragrant Hoi An noodle bowl that balances tender, caramelized pork with a clear, spiced pork broth, crisp sesame rice cracker, crunchy bean sprouts and a bright bundle of fresh herbs. The dish is all about texture — springy noodles, soft braised pork, crackling pork fat and herbs — finished with a squeeze of lime and chile for a lively bite.

Cao Lầu is a fragrant Hoi An noodle bowl that balances tender, caramelized pork with a clear, spiced pork broth, crisp sesame rice... Show more

Traditional Vietnamese Recipe

Health Grade

C · Balanced

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

2,06 €

Calories

875 kcal

low sugar

comfort food

vietnamese

gourmet

Method

Wash the produce

Rinse the bean sprouts, romaine lettuce, mint, Vietnamese basil, cilantro, spring onions, lime, and bird's eye chilies under cold water. Shake off the excess moisture, then dry the lettuce and herbs well so they stay crisp instead of watering down the finished bowls.

Prep the ingredients

Slice the pork shoulder across the grain into thin bite-size strips. Peel and mince the garlic and shallots, cut the onion in half, and smash the ginger with the side of your knife. Dice the pork fatback into small cubes, shred the lettuce if needed, thinly slice the spring onions and chilies, cut the lime into wedges, and pick the mint, basil, and cilantro leaves from any tough stems.

Marinate the pork

In a bowl, combine the sliced pork with the minced garlic and shallots, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, ground black pepper, and neutral oil. Mix until every piece is evenly coated, then let it sit for at least 30 minutes so the seasoning has time to sink in.

Simmer the broth

Place the pork bones in a pot with water, the halved onion, smashed ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and rock sugar. Bring it just up to a boil, skim off any foam that rises, then lower the heat and keep it at a very gentle simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the remaining fish sauce during the last few minutes, then keep the broth hot.

Render cracklings

Put the diced fatback into a cold skillet and set it over low heat. Cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the fat renders out and the pieces turn deep golden and crisp. Lift out the cracklings with a slotted spoon and set them aside, keeping a little of the rendered fat in the pan for the pork.

Caramelize the pork

Heat the skillet with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the rendered pork fat over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork in a single layer and leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes so it can brown properly. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more, then add a small ladle of the hot broth and let it bubble for 3 minutes until the pork is glossy, caramel-brown, and just cooked through.

Strain the broth

Remove and discard the bones, onion, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick from the broth. Taste it once more; it should be savory, lightly sweet, and a little concentrated since it is meant to dress the noodles rather than fill the bowl like soup.

Warm noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Loosen the Cao Lau noodles in the water for 1 minute, just until heated through and springy, then scoop them out. Drop in the bean sprouts for 1 minute to take the raw edge off, then drain everything well.

Assemble the bowls

Divide the shredded lettuce and blanched bean sprouts among 4 bowls, then add the warm noodles. Arrange the caramelized pork on top and spoon over a little of the hot broth so the noodles are moist but not swimming. Finish with the mint, Vietnamese basil, cilantro, spring onions, pork cracklings, and sesame rice cracker broken into shards, then serve with the lime wedges and sliced chilies on the side.