We've been on a bit of a pork and an Asian kick this week and this bowl of noodles kind of sums it all up wonderfully.
Although the recipe called for minced pork, our favorite market wanted an arm and leg for it on our last shopping day, so we bought some pork sirloin steak that was a Manager's special instead and I chopped it up while it was still semi frozen. That took care of that. So who says you can't eat like kings and still be on a budget?
Joined by lots of garlic, ginger and a bit of onion, along with a touch of peanut butter and heat in the form of chili paste (Sambal Olek) and Sriracha, the Chinese noodles were dressed up just fine and went down plum easy.
By the way I used Annie Chun dried chow mein noodles which come in a box and according to the manufacturer "These traditional wheat-flour noodles are made with egg whites only, no yolks, so they're lighter than typical Italian style pastas. They're all-natural, and very low in fat." I have to say that while they say they're lighter, we found them to have a lot more tooth than regular pasta and they cook a lot faster too.
The Big Guy liked them so much he said he wants to try them with a bolognese, or marinara and meatballs next time. Now, that's a scary thought, isn't it?
Speaking of the Big Guy, he's off to El Paso today which means if I want something obscure like say peas, or even ice cream for dinner tonight I can do that. Mmm, decisions, decisions! Now what will it be?
Dan Dan Noodles (adapted from Ken Hom’s A Taste of China as well as Food and Wine Magazine)
12 ounce pork loin, cut into quarter inch pieces
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili paste (Sambal Olek)
1 teaspoon Sriracha or more to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup chicken stock
12 ounces Chinese wheat chow mein noodles (I used Annie Chun’s)
Garnishes of shredded carrots, sliced green onion, red pepper and roasted peanuts
Combine pork pieces, with soy sauce and salt. Heat wok over high heat until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and when shimmering, add pork. Stir fry until lightly browned and cooked through – about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to wok. Add minced garlic, ginger and onion and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, chili paste, Sriracha, sesame oil and chicken stock. Stir well to incorporate and simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles per package direction. Drain well and place into large bowl. Top with pork, then sauce. Garnish with shredded carrots, green onions, red pepper and roasted peanuts. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Download Dan Dan Noodles
Thumbs up on this one. Enjoy the stumble girlie.
Posted by: Mags | 04/09/2011 at 05:04 PM
That looks tasty!
Our board of health people are nuts - one of our local groceries, Rouse's, in our town can not sell ground pork - but can sell seasoned fresh ground pork sausage, fresh ground turkey, fresh ground beef all pre-packaged. The way around it is - when the pork (shoulder is my fav.) goes on sale - you pick your favorite chunk - bring it to the counter and ask them to grind it for you to your specifications - once or twice thorough the grinder.... - at no extra charge - of course! All the other stores can sell pre-packaged ground pork... Odd - no? And they do make the best Cajun Green Onion Sausage that is mild! The other stores in the chain in the Parish (like counties in all the other states) and other parishes can sell the ground pork... Go figure! Hey - I know my ground pork is fresh and good!
Posted by: Nanan | 04/10/2011 at 04:30 AM
Mags - holy cow. Thanks for the stumble. It went CRAZY!
Lea - that's so funny about getting ground pork and as for the Cajun Green Onion Sausage, you sure got my attention. I have a grinder/pasta extruder attachment for my KitchenAid that I absolutely love (except for cleaning it...ha).
Posted by: June | 04/10/2011 at 06:45 AM
I have a sausage attachement, too - I need to pull that out - William LOVES his chorizo!!!! Gotta work on those casings... probably Whole Foods... Maybe even Rouse's since they make sausage - I could probably buy some casings from them... hmmmmmmm
I do love charcuterie making!
Posted by: Nanan | 04/10/2011 at 09:46 AM
Lea - we make it loose without the casings, because you can always hand form it into a cigar shape or patties to cook anyway. If and when we buy it, I often remove it from the casings to cook anyway.
Posted by: June | 04/10/2011 at 10:56 AM