Curried Pork Noodles

Curried Pork Noodles

- serves 4 -
Adapted from Gourmet.com

Ingredients

7 to 8 ounces dried thin rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound ground pork
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small fresh chili, deseeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tablespoons Madras or other curry powder
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil

Procedure

1. Cover the rice noodles in boiling water and soak until soft but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the soaking water, drain, and transfer to a bowl.
2. In the meantime, cook the pork, garlic, and chili in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet, breaking up any chunks, until just cooked through (a little pink is okay as it will cook through later). Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.
3. Add the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the pepper strips. Cook for 1 minute, then add the onion. Continue cooking until the pepper is almost tender but with a little crunch and the onion is golden, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the reserved pork along with the curry powder. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute then stir in the reserve noodle-soaking water. Add the drained noodles along with the fish sauce and herbs. Toss well to combine and serve with more fish sauce, if desired.