Oyster-Flavored Pork with Noodles
Bok choy and red bell pepper add extra color to this tasty dish, and the sauce flavors the egg noodles wonderfully.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 to 4
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ½ pound fresh Chinese or Italian egg noodles
- ½ pound lean pork
- 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2½ tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 thin slices ginger, chopped
- 2 cups chopped bok choy
- 1 red bell pepper, cubed
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- Additional water, if needed
In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles.
Cut the pork into cubes. Place the pork in a medium bowl and add the light soy sauce, 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil, and pepper. Marinate the pork for 20 minutes. Combine the chicken broth with the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and the sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and is nearly cooked.
Push the pork to the sides of the wok or skillet and add the bok choy in the middle. Stir-fry the bok choy for 1 minute, sprinkling ½ teaspoon salt over the top. Add the red bell pepper. Add the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry for another minute or until the bok choy turns bright green. Splash the vegetables with water if they begin to dry out during stir-frying.
Add the noodles. Stir-fry briefly, then add the sauce. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to heat everything through. Serve hot.
Pasta Versus Noodles
While pasta is normally made with durum wheat flour (with or without egg) and comes in an endless variety of shapes, a noodle is a long, ribbon-like piece of dough that can be made of everything from wheat flour to rice flour. So, while Chinese egg noodles can correctly be called pasta, the translucent cellophane noodles found in Hoisin-Flavored Cellophane Noodles cannot.
