Chinese Roast Pork, Noodle-Veggie Stir Fry

Saturday night used to be date night out, but recently it has become date night at home. I was craving Chinese food, and wanted to use the noodles my dad brought me from Philadelphia's Chinatown.

Menu -

- Chinese Roast Pork

- Stir Fry with Noodles, Veggies, and Homemade Stir Fry Sauce

Chinese Roast Pork

I followed this recipe on the Epicurious web site for the marinade. Instead of a pork tenderloin, I used 2 thick boneless pork chops. I adjusted the amounts slightly; what I did is noted below.

• 2 pork chops
• 2 slices fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry cooking sherry
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsps hoison sauce
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

Directions

• Marinate the pork for at least an hour, flipping a few times during the process.
• Preheat the oven to 425.
• Cook the pork in a covered dish for about 40 minutes, flipping a few times and basting with the marinade every time you flip.
• Slice and serve.

The marinade made the chops so tender and full of flavor. I would love to use this marinade when grilling chops, and also want to try it with a pork tenderloin.

Stir Fry with Noodles and Veggies

My dad bought me a package of dry noodles the last time he was in Chinatown. They are about the width of fettucine, but a bit longer and they cook a lot faster.

• 8 oz noodles, cooked (they took about 4-5 minutes to cook) and then rinsed with cold water.
• Chopped veggies: 2 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 head broccoli, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 carrot, handful of sprouts, 6 shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 head Napa cabbage. Feel free to add anything else you like - water chestnuts, bamboo, and celery would have been a nice addition.

Homemade stir fry sauce; whisk together the following ingredients:

• 4 oz chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Hoisin sauce
• 2 tsps garlic-chili paste
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Directions

• Heat approximately 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat.
• Add green onions and garlic; saute 1 min
• Add broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper, carrots, and sprouts. Cook, stirring frequently, about 4-5 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add a touch more oil.
• Add cabbage and stir until wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
• Push veggies to the sides of the pan and add stir fry sauce (be sure to whisk it before adding). Let come to a light simmer.
• Add cooked noodles and toss in the sauce until fully coated. Once coated, stir with the veggies. Serve immediately.

This was a really simple meal making use of some great flavors - ginger, soy, hoison, and heat from the garlic-chili paste. The marinated pork perfectly complemented the flavors in the stir fry. I think the stir fry sauce would have been a bit too sweet without the addition of the garlic chili paste, so I'm glad I thought to add it at the last minute.