Sukhothai Noodles

Sukhothai Noodles	Si Satchanalai Historic Park Sukhothai Thailand
Pork Broth: 2 lbs. pork ribs 4 quarts water 3 T. black peppercorns 1 stalk green peppercorns 2 stalks celery, broken into 3” lengths 1 5 oz. turnip, cut into 1” pieces 1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed 1 large sweet onion, cut in quarters 4 cilantro (coriander) roots, diced	Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim the pot once only after 15 min. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 1 ½ hours. Remove the ribs and reserve for another use. Strain the stock and use as a base for tamarind soup. (May be frozen).
Tamarind Soup: 1 pkg. Tamarind soup base 8 c. pork stock (supplement with chicken broth as needed) 4 stalks lemon grass, cut into 3” pieces and smashed ¼ c. palm sugar 6 Thai (spur) chiles, stalks removed, crushed 4 oz. galangal, sliced into ¼ “ pieces 8 kaffir lime leaves 6 star anise ¼ c. lime juice 4 oz. dried mushrooms 4 T. tamarind paste 4 T. fish sauce 2 lbs. ground pork	Mix the tamarind soup base with the pork stock. Bring to a boil on high heat. Add the lemon grass, palm sugar, chiles (if using), galangal, kaffir lime leaves, star anise and lime juice. Lower the heat and simmer at least half an hour. Strain broth and return strained broth to heat. (Broth can be frozen at this point.) Reconstitute dried mushrooms by covering with boiling water and letting stand 15 min. (Place plate on top of mushrooms to weight them down enough to remain submerged.) Strain mushroom water through a fine sieve and add to soup. Cut up reconstituted mushrooms and add to soup along with tamarind paste, fish sauce and ground pork. Simmer, stirring to break up ground pork, until ground pork is thoroughly cooked. Adjust sweetness and acidity with palm sugar and lime juice as desired. Keep simmering while preparing noodles.
Sliced char shiu pork (see next recipe) 1 lb. fresh green beans, cut diagonally and blanched OR 16 oz. package individually frozen green beans in pieces 2 c. mung bean sprouts (fresh) 12 Won ton wrappers, cut in half diagonally 12 oz. rice noodles (vermicelli) 1 c. peanuts, coarsely chopped Cilantro leaves	Assembly: Arrange won ton wrappers on a Silpat-lined cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy (about 8 mins.). Store air-tight until ready to assemble noodles. Soak noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Let frozen green beans defrost while noodles soak (no need to cook). Drain noodles and divide among warm bowls. Top with green beans and slices of char shiu pork. Ladle simmering tamarind soup over all. Garnish with crispy won ton wrapper, bean sprouts, cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts.
Next recipe Previous recipe Return to menu	Serves 12