Leave it to Chris Morocco, Senior Editor of Bon Appetit magazine to come up with this terrific pork and noodle dish. The flavors of both sweet and spicy along with the crispy bits of pork and chewy noodles can’t be beat. I made this with fresh ramen noodles and udon noodles. They are both delicious, but if I had to choose one or the other, it would be the udon noodles because they are a bit thicker, springy, and toothsome (ramen noodles are my favorite for soup based bowls). Luckily, we have some pretty decent fresh noodles available at the markets.
Sun Noodle is one of the largest producers of specialty Asian style noodles. They make over 300 different types of fresh noodles for markets and restaurants. Both the ramen and udon are made by Sun Noodle and sold at our local Island Grocery store.
A few of the seasoning ingredients are shown above. There’s also a bit of tomato paste, soy sauce and sugar that gets mixed in with the pork.
Don’t skip the basil. It is an essential topping that brings the dish together just before serving it.
A portion of the pork is first cooked until the edges are crisp. The rest of the pork and seasonings are added to the pan along with water. Everything simmers until the sauce is thickened and the flavors have melded.
If you happen to have any leftovers (rarely the case) pack it up and take it to work for lunch.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground pork, divided
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek ground chili paste
- ⅛ cup soy sauce
- ⅛ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ¾ pounds fresh udon or ramen noodles
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- kosher salt to taste
- Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot (Le Creuset works great) over medium to medium-high heat. Add half of the pork, breaking apart into 3 large chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces and continue to cook until pork is nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes longer.
- Add ginger, garlic, sugar, and remaining pork to the pot and cook, breaking up pork into small clumps, until meat is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. Add tomato paste and 1 basil sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomato paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat too low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally , until sauce is slightly thickened and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes.
- Cook noodles per the instructions, in a large pot of boiling salted water (short of al dente). Add noodles to the pot with sauce along with the butter. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if sauce seems too thick. Simmer, tossing occasionally until the sauce begins to cling to the noodles, about 1 minute. Remove basil sprig.
- Divide noodles among plates or bowls and top with torn basil.
