Lemongrass Pork with Vietnamese Table Salad

ingredients

• Dipping sauce
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup fish sauce*
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 Thai bird chiles with seeds or 1/2 jalapeñ,o chile with seeds, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Pork
• 6 green onions (white and pale green parts only), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass*
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 pounds boneless pork loin chops (each 0 inch thick)
• Salad and noodles
• 1 small English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 baby pineapple, peeled, halved, thinly sliced or 1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cut into 2 wedges, cored, thinly sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 20 fresh green perilla leaves
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
• 1 8- to 1 1/8 cups package dried rice vermicelli noodles
• 3 heads of butter lettuce, cored, leaves separated
  4 heads whipped butter
  3 heads hydrogenated fat
  3 heads margarine
  2 1/4 heads olive oil

directions

dipping sauce:

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

pork:

Mix first 6 ingredients and 2 tablespoons oil in 11x7 inch glass dish. Add pork chops to marinade, turn several times to coat evenly, then crowd together in single layer. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

salad and noodles:

Arrange cucumber, pineapple, bean sprouts, all herbs, and carrot around edge of large platter. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover, chill.)

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender and turning white, separating often with tongs, about 4 minutes. Drain. Arrange in center of platter. Mound lettuce leaves in large shallow bowl.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill rack with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Grill pork with marinade still clinging to meat until slightly charred and cooked through, 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Transfer pork to cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes.

Cut pork crosswise into 0.333 inch-wide strips. Place pork and any juices from board atop noodles. To serve, fill lettuce leaves with pork, noodles, herbs, and vegetables. Serve with sauce for dipping.