Ground Pork Noodle Soup (臊子面)

Step 1

Add oil, garlic, ginger, the white part of the scallion, Sichuan doubanjiang, and chili flake to the wok. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to activate the Dou Ban Jiang flavor.

Step 2

Add ground pork and stir over high heat for a few minutes or until cooked through.

Step 3

Season with Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Pour in 1/4 cup of water and let it mingle a little bit. Remove the Saozi from the wok and set it aside.

Step 4

This will taste a lot saltier compare to your preference, that is because this ground pork is a noodle topping, or what we call Saozi (臊子) in Chinese, you are not supposed to eat on its own.

Step 5

Bring 5 -6 cups of water, if you have stock, that will be even better. I am not washing the wok because I don’t want to waste the flavor.

Step 6

We will bring this to a boil which will take a few minutes. It should be enough time for you to wash the baby bok choy and cut them open.

Step 7

The noodles - What I am using here are fresh ramen noodles but you can use other types because I have tried so many, such as egg noodles, rice noodles, mung bean noodles, even instant noodles will work. Depending on the thickness and the brand, the cooking time may variant. If you are not sure, read the instructions on the package before you cook it.

Step 8

Once the water comes to a boil, throw in 4-5 servings of noodles. Just for reference, it will be 400-500 grams of fresh noodles or 250-300 grams of dried noodles. Add some salt to taste. I used about 1/2 tbsp. My noodles are fresh so they just need a few minutes of simmering, which should be enough time for you to pan-fry some eggs on a different stove. This is optional. Just to add a little extra protein.

Step 9

I think the noodles are almost done now. Throw in the baby bok choy and let it blanch for just 30 seconds and dinner is ready.

Step 10

To make a serving, you just put some noodles in a bowl along with the broth. Scoop a few big spoonfuls of minced pork on the top. Put some baby bok choy to balance the flavor. This brings back my childhood memory. When I get an A+ at school, my mom will always make me an extra egg. Sprinkle a little bit of spring onion and enjoy!!

Step 11

This is a super quick dinner on a limited budget but it is very tasty. We made the ground pork salty and savory so you can gradually mix it into the noodle soup as you are eating it. If you got the time and effort, you can definitely upgrade the broth to chicken stock. When I was little, my family wasn’t that fancy, we just use water.