01 To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and 6 tablespoons water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the garlic cloves and chilies. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

02 To prepare the pork, in a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, oil, garlic, sugar, five-spice, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

03 Heat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Place a wire rack in a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet. Distribute the pork in an even layer on the rack; it’s fine if the pieces do not lay perfectly flat. Broil until charred at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the slices and broil until well browned on the second sides, another 4 minutes.

04 To prepare the noodles, while the pork cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled, then drain again.

05 To assemble, divide the lettuce among 4 serving bowls, then top with noodles, dividing them evenly. Thinly slice the cucumber on the diagonal. Stack several slices and cut lengthwise into matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining slices. Divide the cucumber evenly among the bowls. Cut any large pieces of pork into bite-size strips and divide among the bowls, followed by the mint and peanuts. Serve with the sauce on the side.

06 Vietnamese Rice Noodle Bowls with Broiled Marinated Tofu: Drain a 14- to 16-ounce container firm tofu, then cut the tofu into ½-inch slabs and pat dry with paper towels. Follow the recipe, substituting the tofu for the pork; the broiling technique and timing for the tofu is the same as for the pork. When assembling, cut broiled tofu into large bite-size pieces before dividing evenly among the bowls.