Ginger Pork Udon with Baby Bok Choy

One of the best restaurants here in Maui is Star Noodle.  They feature a superb eclectic Asian menu that we enjoy each time we dine there.  We particularly enjoy one of their noodle dishes: “Lahaina Fried Soup.” The combination of savory ground pork and fresh noodles is irresistible. I was looking for a dish with a similar flavor profile when I discovered this recipe. With perfectly seasoned pork, chewy udon noodles, and crisp baby bok choy, it is a dish I will be making often. The original recipe by Melissa Clark at NYT Cooking calls for rice noodles but I couldn’t resist fresh udon made by Sun Noodles, the renowned artisan noodle producer.

Sun Noodles originated in Honolulu in the late 1980’s.  Today, they make more than 600 types of noodles, many of which were created specifically for individual ramen shops and restaurants all over the world.  Luckily, there are a few markets in Hawaii that sell a selection of their noodles for the home cook such as ramen, soba and udon.

With their crisp, juicy stems and tender dark green leaves, baby bok choy is a perfect vegetable for stir frying, or simply steamed and drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Ginger Pork Udon with Bok Choy

 

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Adapted from The New York Times

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby bok choy
• 16 ounces fresh udon (or noodles of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons neutral oil
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar, divided (not seasoned)
• ½ cup sliced scallions, divided
• 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
• few dashes of red chile flakes
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• cilantro for serving
• 1 Fresno chile or Thai chile

Preparation

1. Trim bok choy and separate dark green tops from white stems. Leave the smaller tops whole, cut the larger ones in half. Thinly slice the stems about ⅓-inch wide.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. The fresh udon took about 4 minutes. Drain and run under cool water; drain again.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a wooden spatula, until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ tablespoons soy sauce and ½ tablespoon rice vinegar. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl. Wipe the pan of any residual oil from the pork.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Stir in half the scallions, finely chopped ginger, garlic, and chile flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bok choy stems and cook until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Toss in leaves and bean sprouts. Cook for another minute or two. Return pork to the skillet.
5. Toss noodles, remaining 2½ tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and sesame oil into the pan. Cook until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Transfer to a large wide bowl and toss with remaining scallions. Sprinkle sesame seeds and cilantro over the top, along with thinly sliced peppers.

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