Longevity Noodles with Spicy Pork & Vegetables || Gracefult Kitchen

Longevity Noodles with Spicy Pork & Vegetables

Noodles

Serve this spicy pork-and-vegetable lo mein for Chinese New Year or for dinner anytime. While some cooks like to cut the noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths to make them easier to combine with other ingredients, for the New Year the noodles can never be cut because that symbolizes bad luck. The longer the noodles, the longer your life! Be sure to thinly slice the pork and mushrooms so they cook through. And thoroughly dry the bok choy to avoid creating a braise instead of a stir-fry.

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh lo mein noodles (see Tips)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
12 ounces pork loin, butt or shoulder, cut into scant 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon, divided (see Tips)
½ teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (see Tips)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
1 tablespoon minced ginger
6 ounces baby bok choy, halved lengthwise (about 4 cups)
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps removed and cut into scant 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups)
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup fresh cilantro sprigs

Description

Bring about 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add noodles, return to a rolling boil and cook according to package directions until al dente. Carefully pour the noodles into a colander and rinse with several changes of cold water. Shake well to remove excess water. Return the noodles to the unwashed pot, add sesame oil and toss until well combined. Set aside.
Place pork in a shallow bowl. Add cornstarch, 1 teaspoon rice wine (or sherry), 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat. Combine chile-garlic sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon each rice wine (or sherry) and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon peanut (or vegetable) oil and add ginger; using a metal spatula, stir-fry until the ginger is fragrant, about 10 seconds. Push the ginger to the sides of the wok, carefully add the pork and spread evenly in one layer. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir-fry until the pork begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add bok choy and mushrooms; stir-fry until the bok choy is just wilted but the pork is not cooked through, about 1 minute. Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut (or vegetable) oil into the wok. Add the noodles and stir-fry until just combined, about 15 seconds. Stir the soy sauce mixture and swirl it into wok. Add scallions, cilantro and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir-fry until the pork is cooked through and the noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes.