Grilled Pork Noodle Bowls With Watermelon Salsa
Charred grilled pork, served on top of cool noodles and a in a big bowl with spicy watermelon salsa sounds like a late summer dream dinner to me! Slurping on these noodles with chewy bits of caramelized pork and crunchy fresh cucumber is just what I need after a hot afternoon in the sun!
The inspiration for this recipe
This time of year turning on the oven is the last thing I want to do. I love finding meals that I can put together easily without heating up the house. My go-to is firing up the grill, tossing on some meats, and serving it in a salad situation.
Today’s “salad situation” is a grilled pork noodle bowl inspired by Vietnamese flavors. Rice noodles are a great no-cook option. You can just soak them in warm water until tender and the only real cooking can be on the grill.
Marinate the pork
As the noodles soak, make the simple pork marinade. Just fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
I used pork shoulder steaks for this dish. They have lots of great fat to char up on the grill and cook pretty quickly. There is also a nice chew that adds the perfect texture to the dish. You only want this to marinate for a couple hours max, or the lime juice will start to change the texture of the pork.
Make the spicy watermelon salsa
For the topping I was inspired by nuoc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce that at its most basic is fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. I combined this with a fresh watermelon salsa that had some jalapenos, mint, garlic, and shallots. It ended up being an incredibly refreshing topping for the bowls that balanced sweet, savory, spicy, and sour.
I like to cube the watermelon perfectly but some might call this obsessive.
Grill the pork
The sugar in the marinade and marbled fat on the pork helps it char really nicely on the grill. Cook it on high heat for about 3-5 minutes per side, flipping often to get an even cook and char on the pork. This cut of pork is forgiving and will still be juicy if you overcook it a little.
Slice it thin and reserve any juices that accumulate.
Prepare the grilled pork noodle bowls
After I drained the noodles, I tossed them with just a touch of sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice, and when the pork had rested I also stirred in the pork juices. Build the bowls starting with the noodles, then some lettuce and cucumber.
Top with plenty of pork, and then the watermelon salsa with a few extra spoonfuls of the salsa liquid.
This bowl is incredible and refreshing and just what you want to eat on a warm night in August! The sweet and savory marinade makes the pork super cravable – you can’t wait to go back in for the next bite!
Pork and fruit is a classic combo, but using watermelon puts a new spin on things. As you eat it feels familiar and new at the same time!
Twists on grilled pork noodle bowls
You could make this salsa with any other fruit. It would be great with other melons like cantaloupe, but also with peach or pineapple! You could even do it in the fall with apple or pear.
You could choose other noodles for this grilled pork noodle bowl, but of course, then you would have to boil them. If you are averse to fish sauce, I would try cutting in half as opposed to completely removing it from the recipe.
For details on the Vietnamese grilled pork that this is inspired by, check out this great recipe.
For more noodle bowls, check out my coconut pork and broccoli noodle bowl, this peach and pork belly glass noodles inspired by japchae, or this refreshing chili basil shrimp noodle salad!
Grilled Pork Noodle Bowls With Watermelon Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder steaks
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- salt and pepper
Salsa
- 2 cups diced watermelon
- 1 jalapeno diced seeds optional
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 lime juice of
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 10 leaves fresh mint chopped
Bowls
- 8 ounces rice noodles soaked in warm water until tender
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 lime juice of
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
Instructions
- Mix the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl and pour it over the pork steaks. Allow to rest in the fridge for an hour or two, but no longer than 3 hours.
- Make the salsa by mixing all the salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
- When the rice noodles are tender, strain from the warm water and toss in the sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Grill the steaks over very high heat to char all over and cook through.
- Allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes after it comes off the grill, then slice it thin. Save all the juices from the pork and stir them into the rice noodles.
- Build the bowls starting with the noodles, then the lettuce and cucumbers. Top with the steak, then the salsa, adding extra spoonfuls of the juice from the salsa.