Roast Pork and Shrimp Noodle Soup

If you can't tell by now, I love Asian foods. I think the complexity of the flavors and the sweet and savory combinations are what get me everytime and always tantalizes my taste buds! And since I've journeyed out to try and become an aspiring chef, one of my goals has been to learn how to make a few of my favorite Asian dishes.

The one I'm sharing today is known as Hu Tieu -- roast pork and shrimp noodle soup. And I just want to say that this is a very labor intensive recipe and time consuming recipe. But, the end result is definitely worth it to me! And the recipe can feed a large group, so it's a great meal to serve for a dinner party. So if you've got a few hours on hand and want to take a stab at something new, I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot if you're feeling adventurous.

Broth Ingredients -- Most of these ingredients can be found at the Asian stores
2 packs of pork knuckle
2 packs of chicken neck bones
3 pieces of dried squid
1 large yellow onion
4 large shallots
6 tbsp of black pepper
1 daikon
5 tbsp of rock sugar
4 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp of msg

In a large pot, bring water to boil and add the pork knuckles to the boiling water for a few minutes. Drain. In a 12 qt pot, add the pork bones, chicken necks and squid. Add water till about 2/3 full. Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour.

Place the onion and shallots under the broiler for a few minutes to roast and char. Then add to the broth mixture. Peel and cut the daikon into 4 chunks. Add to the broth. Add the pepper and cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Remove all the ingredients from the broth and strain the broth to remove all the particles. Place the broth in back in the pot over low heat. Add the rock sugar, salt and msg. Continue simmering on low heat for 1 hour. While the broth is simmering, prepare the other ingredients below.

Ground Pork Recipe:
1.5lbs of ground pork
1 bag of dried shrimp
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
2 large shallots, sliced
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Soak 1/3 of the bag of dried shrimp in hot water and rinse. After thoroughly drying, chop up finely. In a pan, add a little bit of oil, add the chopped up dried shrimp and 1 tsp of salt. Once the shrimp is a toasted brown color, remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate pan, add the sliced shallots and finely chopped garlic. Add in ground pork. Make sure to completely separate the pork. Add in black pepper. As the pork cooks, continue mixing to make sure the pork pieces remain separated. If the mixture is too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water at a time to keep the mixture moist. After the pork is cooked, add in the toasted shrimp mixture and mix well. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

BBQ Pork recipe:
2lbs boneless pork shoulder
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp of sugar
1 package of asian bbq pork seasoning (preferred brand is NOH)
1/2 tsp of black pepper
pork marinade (recipe below)

pork marinade recipe:
4 tbsp of oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 pieces of star anise
1/4 tsp of chinese five spice powder
1/2 tsp of msg
2 tbsp asian bbq pork seasoning
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and set aside.

In a pot, boil water and add the boneless pork shoulder and cook for a few minutes. Drain and cut into 3 pieces. In a pan, add the garlic and add the pork marinade. Add in a few tablespoons of water to thin out the mix. Add in sugar and pepper. Once the sauce is well mixed, add in the 3 pieces of pork to the pan and coat well. Add in enough water to cover the pork and cook on low heat until the pork is done. Remove pork once it's cooked and slice into thin pieces.

In the same pan used to cook the pork, add 2 tbsp ketchup to that pan and simmer the sauce until it thickens. (This is the dark sauce that you use to add to the hu tieu on the side)

And here are the instructions on how to make a few additional toppings:
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 packs of egg noodles

In a small pot, add chopped garlic and enough oil to cover the garlic. Cook the garlic until golden brown. Strain the garlic and set aside, this will be used as a topping for the hu tieu.

Cook the egg noodles per the instructions on the package. When you are ready to serve, assemble per the instructions below:

In each bowl, add egg noodles, add the ground pork and shrimp mixture, then top with the sliced pork and sprinkle the cooked garlic on top. You can also add a few springs of cilantro for garnish.
In a separate small bowl, ladle in the broth. Add sliced yellow onions and green onions to flavor the broth. In another small bowl, ladle in some of the dark ketchup sauce. You can serve with bean sprouts, chinese celery and lime slices on the table.