Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles With Bok Choy

- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 12ounces baby bok choy (3 or 4 small heads)
- 1ounce ginger root (1 fat 2-inch-thick knob)
- Kosher salt
- 8ounces rice noodles, not too thin
- 2tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
- 1pound lean ground pork
- ¼cup plus 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½cup thinly sliced scallions
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1fresh Thai or habanero chile, seeded if desired, thinly sliced
- 2tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1½teaspoons sesame oil, more for drizzling
- Cilantro or torn basil, for serving
- Black vinegar, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Trim bok choy and separate dark green tops from white stems; leave tops whole and thinly slice stems. Peel ginger and finely chop half of it. Slice remaining ginger into thin matchsticks.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and run under cool water; drain again.
- Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a fork, until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, 1½ tablespoons soy sauce and ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl.
- Step 4
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Stir in half the scallions, the finely chopped ginger, the garlic and the chile. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bok choy stems and a pinch of salt. Cook until bok choy is almost tender, about 2 minutes. Toss in leaves and return pork to skillet.
- Step 5
Toss noodles, remaining ¼ cup soy sauce and 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar into the pan. Cook until just warmed through.
- Step 6
Transfer to a large bowl and toss with remaining scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil and herbs. In a small bowl, combine ginger matchsticks with just enough black vinegar to cover. Serve ginger mixture alongside noodles as a garnish.
Private Notes
Comments
1. Cook the pork very well, to the point of crispy browned bits. The crunch you create is delicious in the final dish.
2. Definitely can add extra baby bok choy if you have it on hand.
3. Depending on the brand of rice noodles you purchase, soaking them in hot water for 20 min or so will make them perfectly al dente and ready to add at the end.
4. Don't be afraid of the habanero chile, it adds a nice heat to the background, but it is not overwhelming.
5. If you have a wok, use it.
Increase bok choy by 2x. Increase ginger by 2x. Increase ginger matchsticks by 3x. Increase scallions by 1.5-2x. Meat & noodles OK. As is, this is a meaty dish, I prefer more vegetables + more piquancy. Delightful dish!
I think my husband would eat this every night. I've been making it since it appeared and it's always his #1 request. For those of you who've skipped the ginger sticks; you should try as I think it really adds to the dish. I always serve with lime wedges too.
* I did not have ground pork so I cut my pork chops (no bone) into very small bits (kibble size). Worked very well to give a bit more chew. * I used about 1/3 more bok choy because CSA box. * I added one celery rib, cut into 1/3s lengthwise and chopped. * I added 2 medium carrots, julienned. * I did not have the habanero so I used 1/2 tablespoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon chili oil, and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes. Could have done more. * added 50% more scallion and ginger. LOVE this!!
I made this with a packet of fake (vegetarian) shredded pork & skipped the fish sauce, and the result was still quite tasty.
Yes to more veggies and more noodles. There is a lot of meat in this recipe! Don't add salt, the sprinkling of fish sauce will add the extra saltiness. Loved the soaking of rice noodles until pliable, really kept them from overcooking!