Thai Glass Noodle Salad with Crispy Pork and Shrimp

What a wonderfully refreshing salad.  

Potato salad and pasta salad can seem heavy and filling at times, especially

in the heat  of summer.  This Thai noodle salad is refreshing and light  and also 

very satisfying.

It is great to have on its own or as an accompaniment to other Thai foods.

As Always,

ENJOY!

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound cooked small shrimp

1 6-ounce package glass noodles (also called bean threads or saifun)
3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
1 bird's eye chili, ribs and seeds removed, minced (substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes)
2 tablespoons peanuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
Extra chopped peanuts for garnishing

Warm a teaspoon of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to break the pork into tiny crumbles. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring less frequently, until the pork turns deeply golden and crispy. Set aside.

While the pork is cooking, set the noodles in a bowl and cover them with hot water to soak. Let them sit until softened, about 10 minutes or until the pork has finished cooking.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the noodles are stretchy and tender. Drain and rinse under cool water. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the mass of noodles 3 or 4 times — this makes the long noodles easier to eat.

Combine the noodles, pork,shrimp, green onions, cilantro, chili, and peanuts in a large bowl. Whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice in a small bowl. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your tastes, then pour the sauce over the noodles. Use tongs or clean hands to lift the noodles, fold them over, and gradually work the ingredients into the noodles. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving or refrigerate until serving. Garnish each dish with extra peanuts.

This dish is best on the day that it's made. For serving leftovers, make an extra batch of the sauce and add it to the noodles a few teaspoons a time, stirring the noodles until they loosen and become slippery again.