Cold Asian Noodles With Pork Food

CHINESE CHILLED NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the sesame oil, black soy sauce, balsamic, sugar, salt, and Chile Oil. Whisk to blend. Stir in half of the sliced scallions. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• When the water boils, season with salt until the water tastes like seawater. Plunge the pasta in the boiling water and cook, 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Place a colander in the sink. Remove the pot from the heat and pour off most of the water into the colander, catching any pasta as the water pours out.
• Remove the colander from the sink and fill the pot still containing the pasta with cold water. You want the pasta to cool quickly by being submerged in the cold water. This will assure a chewy texture.
• Drain the pasta thoroughly in the colander, shaking it a few times to remove excess water covering the pasta. Spread a kitchen towel on a flat surface and turn the noodles onto the towel. Gently use a second towel to dry the noodles. Removing the excess moisture assures that the sauce will have its proper flavoring effect on the noodles. Any water from cooking the pasta dilutes the noodles and makes them taste more like water than anything else. Gingerly transfer them the bowl with the sauce. Use your hands to mix the pasta and the sauce, taking care that all of the pasta gets coated. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• These noodles can marinate for a few hours or overnight before serving. Serve them cold, tossing them again in the sauce just before serving, and garnish with the remaining scallions.
• Remove the stems from the chiles then place in a food processor and blend until they are completely broken down.
• Use a rubber spatula and scrape into a medium sized saute pan. Add the oil and stir well. Set the pan over medium-low heat. Gently warm up the oil slowly so it draws out the color and flavor of the chiles. Stir well and season with salt. Once the oil is barely simmering, cook for 5 to 6 minutes. hut off heat and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

COLD ASIAN NOODLES WITH PORK

Steps:

• Make the pickled vegetables: Put the carrots, cucumbers and jalapeno in a bowl. Heat the rice vinegar and fish sauce in a saucepan, then pour over the vegetables. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper and set aside, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the noodles and pork.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil; remove from the heat, add the noodles and let stand 8 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water, then snip into smaller pieces with kitchen shears.
• Meanwhile, season the pork lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Brush each chop with hoisin sauce; turn and cook 30 seconds. Brush with more hoisin sauce, turn and cook 30 more seconds. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
• Divide the noodles among bowls. Strain the pickled vegetables, reserving the liquid. Stir 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into the reserved liquid; drizzle over the noodles. Top with the pork, pickled vegetables, lettuce and herbs.
• Per serving: Calories 476; Fat 20 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 78 mg; Sodium 618 mg; Carbohydrate 38 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 36 g

RICE NOODLES WITH SPICY PORK AND HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook noodles according to instructions. Drain noodles while running under cold water, until they are cool to the touch. Set aside. Mix dressing by whisking rice vinegar, soy sauce, black vinegar, chile oil and sugar until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Cook the pork topping: Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, and add ground pork and salt. Pan-fry, breaking meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink parts and no liquid remain in the pan, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and scallion whites, and stir occasionally until the raw smell has disappeared and the meat is starting to brown in places, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, if using, along with a tablespoon of water, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more, or until mixture is darkened and thick. Set aside.
• When you're ready to serve, divide cool, drained noodles into four individual bowls, and top each with a tablespoon of vinegar dressing followed by a pile of ground pork, herbs, peanuts and radishes, to taste. Serve with any remaining garnish, and additional chile oil and chile-oil solids, on the side.

CHINESE PORK 'N' NOODLES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil; set aside. , In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry pork in 2 teaspoons canola oil for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, stir-fry the red pepper, peas and onion in remaining oil for 3 minutes. Add cabbage; stir-fry 2 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. , Stir reserved hoisin sauce mixture and stir into skillet. Return pork to the pan; heat through. Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss to coat. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro.