Bengbu Kids’ Favorite – Stir-fried Mung Bean Noodles with Shredded Pork
Stir-fried mung bean noodles with shredded pork is a homestyle dish that we kids in Bengbu grew up eating. Even children who usually don’t like to eat will polish off a bowl of rice when they see this dish. These mung bean noodles are not the dried kind, but fresh mung bean sheets used for cold salads, sold at tofu or bean product stalls. Before stir-frying, briefly blanch them in boiling water and then rinse in cold water. This shortens the stir-frying time, gives the noodles a chewy texture, and keeps them from sticking. When this dish is made outside, to prevent sticking, the bottom of the plate is usually covered with a thick layer of oil. At home, for health reasons, it’s better to use a nonstick pan so you can use less oil when stir-frying. This recipe uses a little dark soy sauce, which makes the noodles beautifully translucent with a bright reddish sheen that really whets the appetite.
Ingredients
Steps
Cut the pork loin into thin shreds. Add cooking wine, light soy sauce, salt and starch, mix well and marinate for a while.
Finely mince a generous amount of garlic. Cut the green pepper into thin strips and slice the bird’s eye chilies into sections.
Cut the mung bean noodle sheets into strips.
Bring water to a boil in a pot, add the noodle strips and quickly stir to separate them.
Pour into a colander, rinse under cold running water, and separate the noodles so they don’t overlap. The noodles should have turned translucent.
Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the shredded pork.
When the pork changes color, add the minced garlic and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the noodle strips, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and salt, and stir-fry quickly. (If you’re slow with your movements, you can mix the seasonings in a bowl first and pour them in together.)
Add the green pepper, stir to mix, then turn off the heat. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and toss well in the residual heat. (If you like it spicy, you can add a bit more black pepper.)
Cook over high heat the whole time, stir-frying quickly. There’s no need to use a lot of oil or add water; just make sure the seasonings are well mixed with the noodles.
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