Vietnamese Dry Noodle Recipe (Mì Khô Xá Xíu)

Vietnamese-style dry char siu noodles are one of the most delightful dishes. Originally a Chinese cuisine, this dish has been adapted by the Vietnamese to suit their palate. If you are tired of greasy everyday meals, dry char siu noodles are an excellent choice to change up your taste.

Dry char siu noodles are a fairly simple dish that anyone can make. The ingredients are not hard to find, yet the final product is incredibly delicious. You will experience a wide range of flavors when enjoying this dish, as it is a perfect blend of wonderful components. In this article, Food Vietnamese will guide you on how to make super delicious Vietnamese-style dry char siu noodles.

What is Char Siu?

Char siu is a method of preparing pork into a dish. The cook will cook the pork by roasting or grilling it at high temperatures. The origin of char siu comes from the Guangdong region of China. Through Chinese immigrants, the dish was introduced to Vietnam and adapted to suit local tastes. Today, char siu has become one of the familiar dishes associated with Vietnamese life.

To make char siu, pork is combined with various ingredients. People enjoy char siu in many delicious dishes such as char siu sandwiches, char siu buns, char siu fried noodles, char siu rice, char siu noodle soup, and more.

The process of making char siu pork is quite meticulous but not complicated. High-quality pork is selected and marinated with various spices to enhance the flavor, then simmered or grilled over heat until cooked. In Vietnam, each region has different tastes, resulting in char siu pork with varying flavors in each area. For example, char siu pork in the South has a deep red color, sweet taste, and tender meat, while people in the North or Central regions prefer less sweet, slightly salty char siu with a light red or orange color. Overall, this dish is quite simple to prepare, and you can make it at home for parties or everyday meals.

Ingredients for Making Dry Char Siu Noodles

Prepare the following ingredients to make dry char siu noodles:

• 500g pork shoulder
• 1 pack of egg noodles
• 300g bok choy
• Char siu marinade sauce
• Minced garlic, minced shallots
• Seasonings including garlic powder, chili powder, oyster sauce, soy sauce, spices.

Detailed Instructions for Making Authentic Dry Char Siu Noodles

The total time to make dry char siu noodles is 2 hours, but it is quite simple. Just follow these steps:

Preparing the Ingredients

1. Cut the base of the bok choy, wash it clean, and let it drain.
2. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
3. Mix the char siu marinade sauce according to the following recipe: 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of minced shallots, half a tablespoon of pre-made char siu marinade, half a teaspoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of pepper, half a tablespoon of soy sauce, 3 teaspoons of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder. To give the char siu pork a beautiful red color, you can add a little annatto powder to the marinade. Mix all the ingredients together.
4. Rinse the pork shoulder clean and let it drain. Place the pork into the marinade mixture, mix well, and let it marinate for 2 hours to absorb the flavors.
5. Bring a pot of clean water to a boil, blanch the bok choy until cooked, remove it, and let it drain.
6. Boil another pot of water to cook the noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, mix them with a little oil to prevent them from sticking together.
7. Combine the char siu marinade sauce and the grilling sauce, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat. This will be the sauce used to mix with the noodles.

Grilling the Char Siu Pork

1. After marinating the pork for enough time, place it in an air fryer and grill at 150°C (302°F) for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, open the fryer, turn the pork over, brush it with the sauce, and continue grilling for a second time at 180°C (356°F) for 15 minutes.
3. Once the pork is cooked, remove it and slice it into thin, bite-sized pieces.
4. A tip when grilling char siu is to line the baking tray with aluminum foil to catch the dripping sauce, which can be used as a sauce to mix with the noodles.

How to Mix Dry Noodles

When you start mixing, place the egg noodles in a bowl, then add the bok choy and char siu pork on top. Finally, drizzle the mixing sauce over everything and enjoy. The result of the dry char siu noodles is a bowl of golden, chewy egg noodles soaked in a balanced sweet and salty sauce. The char siu pork is well-marinated, tender, and moist with an eye-catching color that blends perfectly with the crisp, sweet, and vibrant green bok choy, making it extremely appealing.

Tips for Choosing Fresh Pork Shoulder

The deliciousness of dry char siu noodles also depends on the selection of ingredients. Here are some tips to choose fresh pork shoulder:

• The meat should be dry, not slimy, and free of any unpleasant odor.
• The meat should have an attractive light pink color.
• The meat should be elastic and have even muscle fibers.
• Avoid choosing meat with tightly packed lean layers and bright red color, as it may have been injected with growth hormones.

After purchasing the meat, soak it in diluted salt water with 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar for 20 minutes to remove any unpleasant odors. Then, rinse the meat thoroughly with water, cut it into pieces, and proceed with your cooking. If using frozen pork, thaw it, blanch it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, rinse it in cold water, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and then proceed with your cooking.

Hopefully, these tips have provided you with a detailed guide to making authentic Vietnamese-style char siu noodles. Quickly get into the kitchen and prepare this dish to treat your family and change up their taste. For more delicious recipes, you can visit Foodvietnamese.com daily for a wide range of traditional Vietnamese cooking instructions!