Some of you may be familiar with a Cantonese dish called yuk bang, which roughly translates into “pork pie.” It’s pretty much the Chinese version of meat loaf. But while meat loaf can be found on menus in both Southern and hipster diners, yuk bang is hardly ever served outside home. To call it rustic would be an overly generous. You mix ground pork with pickled mustard plant, splash on a bit of soy sauce, then press your ball of pork into a metal plate and steam it. As simple and unphotogenic as pork pie is, it tastes amazing mixed with white rice.
In the absence of pickled mustard plant, and for leftovers that I wouldn’t feel weird bringing to work, I turn to these minced pork and shiitake noodles.
If you have ever been to Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, or Japan, you may be familiar with a dish of minced pork ladled over a bowl of boiled noodles. It’s pure comfort food whenever you’re exhausted and need nourishment, stat. Like, when traveling on foot in a subtropical Asian city, or even after staring at a computer screen all morning.
The simplest preparation involves just minced pork, onions or shallots, scallions, all simmered in sake or Chinese rice wine. I throw in finely chopped shiitake mushrooms for extra flavor (lately, using these ugly shiitakes.) You can really use any kind of noodles, but I prefer soba for their ability to not become saturated by sauces.
I brought these to work 3 days in a row. I felt like I was back slurping noodles at a hawker stand, except in a climate-controlled break room and not perspiring like a maniac.
And if you’re still dying for a pork pie recipe, let me know.
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Minced Pork and Shiitake Noodles
Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 8 to 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and finely chopped
- 3 to 4 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sake
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 stalks scallions, chopped
- Boil your noodles according to package instructions.
- While your cooking are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Cook the ground pork, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside.
- Add the shittakes and shallots and cook until they begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pan. Add the sake, wait a minute while the alcohol loosens the nice pork drippings on the pan, then add the soy sauce. Let everything simmer for another minute, then remove from the pan.
- Serve pork and mushrooms over drained noodles, and garnish with scallions.
Oh, my, this sounds soooo tempting!
And, Diana, I’m longing for any recipe you deign to share, so bring on the pork pie!
These noodles do look great for a packed lunch – definitely one to make. Thank you!
And I do remember my mother making that steamed pork dish as one of our dishes for dinner. So delicious.
Oh wow this looks delicious! Reminds me of home ;) and yes, I am still dying for that pork pie recipe!
I remember yuk bang from growing up. This is totally comfort food…
Looks really delicious!
Bring on the pork pie!
This is a really simple looking recipe. I agree it would be great to have it for lunch at work, much better than tired sandwiches.
I love any kind of Chinese comfort food. I particularly love your Cantonese recipes and food/scenes from the streets of Hong Kong.
My mom makes a pork dish similar to what your describing but with a salted duck egg cracked on top. yuuuuuuum.
I made this yesterday, just adding a bit of vinegar to cut through the salt, and it was fantastic. Simple and perfect for a night with nothing in the fridge.
Here’s another vote for the pork pie recipe. I was introduced to pickled mustard by some friends last year and have been searching for other recipes to use it in.
Beef with broccoli, sweet and sour pork, orange chicken..oh I could go on and on and on. Minced pork and shiitake noodles is getting added to my favorite list real soon! I can’t wait to try this!
I’ve been looking around for a pork pie recipe – would love it if you shared. :)
I’ve been looking around for a pork pie recipe – would love it if you shared. :)
“Return the cook to the pan.”
The cook????! :)