Mi Quang with Pork

Prepare and marinate the pork
• Wash the pork, cut into bite-sized pieces and drain. Wash the red chilies, blanch them briefly, then mince finely together with the garlic.

• Take half of the minced garlic and chili, add fish sauce, pepper, half the jar of tomato sauce, seasoning powder and sugar, and marinate the pork for about 30 minutes.

Sear the pork
• Heat a clean pan, add cooking oil and fry the annatto seeds to make annatto oil.

• Add the rest of the garlic and chili and fry until fragrant, then add the marinated pork and stir-fry until it firms up.

Cook the pork into a broth
• Bring a pot of coconut water to the boil, add the seared pork and simmer until tender. Season to taste, then add the remaining half jar of tomato sauce for colour and extra aroma.

Prepare the accompaniments
While the pork simmers, prepare the side ingredients to save time.

• Roast the peanuts with a little salt until golden, crisp and fragrant. Let them cool, rub off the skins and lightly crush them in a mortar – just crush, don't grind.

• Pick over the fresh herbs and greens, discarding any damaged, wilted or old leaves, then soak in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes to help remove pesticide residue. Rinse a few more times in cold water and shake dry.

• Make the dipping fish sauce: put 3 tablespoons good fish sauce and 1/3 teaspoon MSG in a small bowl, stir to dissolve, then add a few slices of chili and garlic. That's all it takes to make the mi Quang even more flavourful.

• Now check whether the pork is tender. If it is, adjust the seasoning one last time.

• Note that mi Quang broth only needs enough liquid to cover the meat by about 3 cm; cook it down until it just barely covers the meat. What makes this dish special is that it's served with only a little broth, tossed with the noodles before eating, so you really taste its rich, irresistible flavour.

• When the broth is done, put noodles and fresh herbs in a clean bowl, top with pork and ladle over just enough broth to barely cover the noodles. Sprinkle with peanuts and add finely chopped spring onion and chili if you like. Finally, squeeze over a little lime and enjoy. If you can, replace the sliced fresh chili with the special simmered chili sauce from Quang Nam!