Spicy pork noodles

"This is a version of the classic spicy Beijing noodles, but I’ve reduced the pork and increased the vegetables. Make sure you use free-range pork mince – your best bet might be to source it from your local farmers’ market." Matthew Evans, For the Love of Meat

Spicy pork noodles. Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
• 300 g pork mince
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2-3 cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed, finely chopped
• 2 bunches Asian greens such as choy sum or baby bok choy, cut into 5 cm lengths
• 500 g thick flour noodles, any type will work
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds discarded, julienned
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• coriander sprigs, to serve

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the chilli bean, oyster and soy sauces, sugar, salt and 125 ml (½ cup) water, then set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the pork, spring onion, ginger and mushrooms and stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until the pork has browned. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. The pork will release some liquid, which will mix with the sauce to make a delicious gravy. Add the Asian greens and continue to cook until the vegetables are wilted.

Meanwhile, heat the noodles according to the packet directions. Drain and divide among four bowls, then spoon the meat sauce over the top, making sure each serve gets some gravy. Place the carrot and cucumber on one side of the sauce, then sprinkle with extra spring onions and serve scattered with coriander sprigs.  

Note

• Chilli bean sauce is available from Asian food stores.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Vanessa Austin. Food preparation by Alex Herbert.

For The Love of Meat with Matthew Evans starts Thursday 20 October at 7.30pm on SBS and then on SBS On Demand.  Visit the program page for show information, related articles and more recipes. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.