I have been trying different types of minced protein including pork. I made burgers but you can't do that all the time.
So I decided to make a noodle bowl using my mince and some black rice noodles I had. I find noodle bowls to be filling and at the same time healthy and refreshing as a meal. To add to the umami of the dish I used some dried mushroom and of course whats a noodle bowl without some fresh veg.
I have come to find that noodle bowls make everyone happy and there are so many things you can add to them to make it your own.
Makes 2 bowls
250 grams pork mince
3 smashed garlic cloves
1 finely chopped thumb of ginger
1 thumb finely grated thumb of ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise or 1 tsp aniseed
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cloves
100 grams black noodles
100 grams rehydrated mushrooms
8 sticks of asparagus
2 sprigs of spring onion
Salt to taste
In a bowl, put your grated ginger, the pork mince, some salt and 1 tablespoon of cornflour and mix well. Once mixed, shape the mince into small plum sized balls and set aside.
In a pan, add the chopped ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, cloves, rehydrated mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and about 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let this simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the pork balls one by one.
Let this continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, by which time the pork should be cooked through. Remove the pork and mushroom from the broth and set aside. Take the broth off the heat and strain it. Do it twice through a fine sieve to get a clearer broth.
In a separate pan, place your black noodles and cook according to the pack instructions. In the meantime, blanche the asparagus in boiling water for 1 minute then set aside. Place your strained broth back on the heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
In a bowl, set up your noodles, pork, mushroom and vegetables. Ladle the broth, hot as it is, straight from the pan into the bowl. Pour a few drops of dark soy sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. You can serve with a side of chili and lime