Taiwanese-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

This noodle dish is nostalgic for me because it is quintessentially homey, familiar and, well, Taiwanese! Yellow (egg based) fresh noodles, pork, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, onion, garlic, cabbage and/or bean sprouts, soy sauce and vinegar are the typical ingredients. Both my mom and grandmother used to make their own versions of this, and here's mine. 

With Taiwanese plain noodles. 

With Pancit-style yellow egg noodles.

Ingredients:

14-16 oz. boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into thin shreds.

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. water

MARINADE:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice wine
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 lb. fresh yellow noodles or Taiwanese noodles

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 bunch scallions cut into 1" sections along the bias (separate the green and white parts)
8 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced OR

8-oz package fresh shiitake or assorted mushrooms (shiitakes, oyster, etc.)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. bean sprouts (2 cups)

1 cup shredded carrots
1 small head of napa or green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

SAUCE:
1/2 cup chicken stock (1/2 cup water + 1 tsp. Totole chicken powder)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. black vinegar (or according to taste)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. sesame oil

1. Place the shredded pork in a bowl and toss with baking soda and 3 tbsp. water; set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour (this will tenderize the pork). Place the pork into a colander and rinse well to remove the baking soda. Put the rinsed pork into a bowl and pat dry with paper towels. Add the marinade ingredients and mix well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to overnight until ready to use.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh noodles about 1-2 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. Add 3 tbsp. vegetable oil to a hot wok or saute pan. Add the marinated pork and saute for about a minute until partially cooked through. 

4. Add the onion, garlic, white parts of the scallions.

5. Add another 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to the pan and stir in the sliced mushrooms, carrots and cabbage. Cook until the onion and cabbage are translucent, the carrots are softened, and the pork cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the sauce, green parts of the scallion, bean sprouts and noodles and toss briefly until the all the ingredients are well blended. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tsp. sesame oil.

7. Plate the noodles on a serving dish and serve immediately.

Marinate the pork after tenderizing with baking soda. 

If using dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate.

You can also use fresh assorted mushrooms.

Fresh yellow egg noodles, available in the refrigerated section of most Asian markets. Short of that, feel free to use fresh Taiwan plain noodles, linguine or fettuccine. 

Taiwanese plain noodles

Sauce.

Drain the noodles after cooking (do not rinse). You can stir in a couple teaspoons of vegetable oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. 

Saute the pork, onion, white part of scallions, 

Add another 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to the pan and stir in the sliced mushrooms, carrots and cabbage. Cook until the onion and cabbage are translucent, the carrots are softened, and the pork cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the sauce, green parts of the scallion, bean sprouts and noodles.

 Toss briefly until the all the ingredients are well blended. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tsp. sesame oil.

Plate the noodles on a serving dish and serve immediately.