Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles With Bok Choy
Published February 4, 2014
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
12 ounces baby bok choy (3 or 4 small heads)
1 ounce ginger root (1 fat 2-inch-thick knob)
Kosher salt
8 ounces rice noodles, not too thin
2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
1 pound lean ground pork
¼ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh Thai or habanero chile, seeded if desired, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 ½ teaspoons 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, 1 ½ 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 1 ½ 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.
Made this with added vegetables. My husband just kept eating it and raving. I'll be making it again!
This was delicious. I followed the recipe as it was written with the exception that I sauteed the ginger matchsticks in the empty pan to caramelize them before combining them with the other garnishes. I would definitely make this dish again.
Oh yum! Success. This was absolutely delicious. I tried to follow recipe exactly, except for habanero chile. Fiddly. Had to be careful not to get befuddled as I was having a glass of wine at the time. Concentrated, worth it. Slippery, silky noodles, lumps of tender, seasoned pork, a melding of subtle sauces, crunchy of scallions, lightly browned sesame seeds ( amazed I didn’t burn them). Whole thing came together. Yes, a keeper.

