Spicy Glass Noodles With Crispy Pork (Yum Woon Sen)

From Vietnam. Found on The Kitchen blog. Posted by Emma Christensen. She says: "This dish is actually quite elegant in its simplicity. The seasoned noodles are the real star with the crispy pork and other ingredients just there to play back up. It's usually served cold or room temperature, and many versions include either dried or whole cooked shrimp to make it a more substantial meal. I chose to leave the shrimp out of my dish, but please feel free to add them if shrimp are something you like."

• Ready In: 27 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb ground pork
• 1 (6 ounce) package  rice noodles (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  tablespoons soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2  tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
•  chopped peanuts, for garnishing

Directions

1. 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 3-5 minutes, stirring less frequently, until the pork turns deeply golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. 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.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles and cook for 1-2 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.
4. Combine the noodles, pork, 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.
5. 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.