Pork ribs and rice noodle soup
It's filling enough to be served as a main course for lunch or dinner. It won't hurt to make extra broth — it's so tasty that refilling the bowls may be required.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 6 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 red onions or 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 kilogram meaty pork ribs chopped through the bone into about 2-inch pieces
For the soup
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 onion cut in half
- ½ head garlic
- fish sauce to taste
- 150 grams dried flat rice noodles
To serve
- fresh bean sprouts
- sliced onion leaves
- fresh cilantro
- fried shallots
- toasted garlic bits
- lime or lemon wedges
Instructions
- Place the sugar, salt, fish sauce, onions or shallots and garlic in the blender or food processor and process until the mixture forms a paste.
- Place the cut ribs in a bowl. Add the paste. Mix. Cover and leave to marinate overnight.
- Place the marinated pork ribs in a pot. Cover with water. Add the peppercorns, onion and garlic. Bring to the boil; skim off scum as it rises.
- Lower the heat, cover and simmer for an hour and a half to two hours or until the pork meat is very tender.
- When the pork is nearly done, cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain.
- Divide the noodles among four bowls. Add two to three pieces of ribs per bowl. Pour in hot broth.
- Garnish with bean sprouts, onion leaves, cilantro, fried shallots, garlic bits and lemon wedges.
- Serve the pork ribs and rice noodle soup immediately.
Notes
Updated from a recipe originally published in September 25, 2011.