Barbecued Pork

The modern Vietnamese cuisine is a marriage of the old and new. Well kept secret recipes from past generations are now beginning to shine together with new dishes created for the increased demands of a changing and well-traveled population outside of Vietnam. Sometimes lengthy preparation time and cooking process is required by the Vietnamese cuisine to create a sophisticated dish used to serve the King and queen can render with new method for busy lifestyle that we are experience now. Homestyle cooking is healthier and frugal at the same time. A few simple ingredients like lemongrass, shallots and garlic can turn chicken, beef or pork into a festive meal. In addition to the street vendors throughout Vietnam, barbecued pork has found its way to become one of the fine dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in America and other countries, as well. I share this recipe once served in my family's restaurant but is scaled down here for home cooks. Simple marinade sauce can be used with pork or any kind of meats to create family meals, or added to a bowl of rice noodle, or make sandwiches. Grill pork over charcoal or broil in oven for a few minutes, and it will disappear as soon as it is placed on the table.
Ingredients:
1 lbs pork butt, sliced into 1/8 inch thick against the grain
3 shallots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbs lemongrass
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs honey
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs  soy sauce
1/2 tsp five spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp molasses
3 tbs sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Top with scallion oil

Directions:
In the Magic Bullet or other blender, blend shallot, garlic, sugar, honey, and lemongrass. Remove into a mixing bowl. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper, chili, molasses and five spices. Mix well.
In a container, place the pork piece by piece in layers. Spoon the marinade on each layer and sprinkle with sesame seeds as you go. Pour the olive oil on top; Cover and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
For baking: Preheat oven to 400°. Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the pork on the foil in overlapping slices (this will help prevent the pork from drying out while baking). Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over to the other side and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

This pork can be grilled on a cast-iron pan with very little oil and butter to make sandwiches (banh mi thit nuong) or served over rice noodle (bun thit nuong).
1) To serve as rice noodle will need: Shredded lettuces, cucumbers, mints, cilantro, basil and daikon-carrots pickles , cooked rice noodles and Vietnamese dipping sauce ( was posted in previous blogs).

2) Vietnamese sandwich: a few slice cucumbers, cilantro pickle carrots, mayonnaise  and baguette