Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles resembling linguine in width, but shorter, about eight inches long. Treat them like pasta-boiled in salted water, not added directly to the stir-fry.
The sauce in this recipe is boldly flavored, but not heavy or “saucy”-it simply coats the pork and noodles with spicy, gingery flavor. This means you won’t see puddles of it in the wok or in your bowl, but a small amount equals big flavor.
Note: Ground fresh chile paste is often sold as “sambal oelek” in Asian food markets. Many supermarkets also carry it in the international aisle. If you can’t find sambal oelek, substitute a chile-garlic paste or other hot sauce.
Serves 5-6
Ingredients
For the Sauce
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 Thai or habanero chile, stemmed and finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp ground fresh chile paste (sambal oelek)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp white sugar
For the Pork and Noodles
6 oz soba noodles
2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 lb ground pork
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 oz snow peas, sliced in half lengthwise
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and dark green parts separated
chopped cilantro leaves (with small stems), for garnish
Preparation
For the Sauce
Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set aside. Re-whisk again just before using.
For the Pork and Noodles
Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water 10 minutes. Drain.
Heat a wok (or large, deep skillet) over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the pork and garlic and stir-fry until just cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and wipe out any remaining liquid.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the mushrooms, snow peas, and white parts of the scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes.
Return the pork mixture to the wok and add the sauce. Cook, stirring to incorporate, until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained noodles to the wok and toss well to combine. Cook until hot throughout, 1-2 minutes.
To serve, divide the pork and noodles among 5-6 shallow bowls and scatter the green parts of the scallions and the cilantro on top.