← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 250 g Minced pork
• 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 40 g Sui mi ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), finely chopped (optional)
• 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (or tahini)
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and finely ground
• 4 tbsp chilli oil with its sediment
• 125 ml hot chicken stock
• 500 g fresh thin wheat noodles
• 4 baby bok choy (or choy sum), halved
• 2 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork and break it up, then fry without stirring too often for 6–8 min, until the fat renders and the bits are brown and a little crisp.
2. Add the ginger and fry for 30 seconds, then the Shaoxing wine, both soy sauces and the ya cai if using. Stir-fry for 2 min until the liquid has gone and the pork is dark and dry. Set aside.
3. Whisk the sesame paste with the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic and ground Sichuan pepper until smooth, then stir in the chilli oil and hot stock. Divide between 4 bowls.
4. Bring a big pot of water to the boil. Blanch the bok choy for 1 minute and lift it out, then cook the noodles to the packet time, usually 2–3 min. Drain well.
5. Pile the noodles and greens into the bowls, top with the crispy pork, spring onion and peanuts, and tell everyone to toss well from the bottom before eating.

Tips

• Contains sesame, wheat and often peanuts; leave the peanut topping off for allergies.
• Ya cai (sweet preserved mustard greens) gives the authentic savoury depth. Find it in Asian shops; the dish is still good without it.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Omnivore's Cookbook