Whenever Stephen and I get Chinese BBQ, I waffle between the roast duck or charsiu while he, without any hesitation, orders two ribs of roast pork. It’s a dish we usually pick up for family dinners or special occasions. Thus with the lack of social gatherings, plus being at home for the past year, the crispy skin and wonderfully rendered fat is something we’ve missed a lot. Enough for us to attempt making it ourselves using a piece of pork belly and the airfryer method we’ve seen online. With a bit of time, effort and patience, the end result is drool worthy.

We’ve followed the recipe from Scruffandsteph.com pretty much to a tee each time. Their post has great tips and detailed advice about how to prepare the skin and even what to look for when buying the piece of pork belly. Stephen uses a pick that came with our takoyaki pan from Japan to poke the holes and spends at least a few minutes on the step to ensure even coverage. The recipe does require the pork belly to dry in the fridge for at least 12 hours, so plan accordingly!

My mom is an amazing cook. Growing up, she made everything from scratch and from dumplings to tong yuan to the best red braised pork belly. She’s the one who ignited my love of food, specifically eating, and I loved spending time in the kitchen as her sous chef. For special occasions, she’d plan out extravagant menus with a minimum of 8 dishes for just us, my dad and brother.

Today, I find myself craving a dish from my mom’s kitchen every few weeks. Sometimes the craving is as simple as her poached eggs for breakfast or a bowl of homemade wontons. There’s just something about the way she seasons her soups that I can’t replicate and of course, nothing is measured. Other dishes I always request when we visit are ones I lack the technique to execute like savoury tong yuans, liang feng and stir fried kidney.

Pork liver and kidney are two of my favourite proteins. Stephen’s managed to master Stir Fried Pork Liver, though he’s still weary of how close to rare I prefer mine cooked, and once bought cow instead of pork. When my mom stayed with us for a week to help with Alivia last month, I took advantage of her being in our kitchen to carefully document the cooking process and measure everything.

The hardest part of cooking pork kidney is the prep and cleaning. Without properly cleaning the innard, the meat can be quite pungent. I mean it’s the organ that processes urine, no surprises there. The exterior meat of the organ though is so delicious. It has a texture that’s hard to describe but similar to very firm tofu. It’s tender, not crispy or crunchy, smooth, not grainy, but still has resistance when chewing. It’s unlike any other innard or organ that’s usually eaten. My mom always buys kidney fresh and butchers it the same day. Once seasoned, it can marinate overnight in the fridge.

We usually add red chilies or some kind of spice to our Stir Fried Kidney but left them out so Alivia could try it.

How to Clean Pork Kidney

To core the kidney, start by slicing the kidney in half along its length when lying flat, almost like a bagel. Press firmly on the organ and keep your halves even. Once halved, there’s a clear distinction between the outer meaty part (what we want) and the darker meat and white parts (what we don’t want). With a sharp knife, cut a perimeter around the dark meat and white parts. Slice straight down, but not through the kidney. Then from a shorter edge, lift up a flap, ensuring you’ve cut deep enough to get to the meaty part, and slowly slice and pull the flap taut again. Slowly pulling and slicing, and adjusting if you’re not getting enough of the innards out will slowly core the kidney, leaving only the shell. You want to try to get the core all out in one piece. The step by step photos below illustrate best.

This is a careful and time consuming technique so be patient and it takes practice to perfect. Make sure you’re using a sharp knife and go slow. Stephen also found it easier to work with a dry cutting board, so wipe away any blood (and urine) as needed.

Once your kidney shells are ready, cross hatch and cut into one inch pieces. Marinate with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine for at least a few hours before stir frying.

Yum

Stir Fried Pork Kidney

Ingredients

• 3 cleaned, marinated pork kidneys
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black vinegar
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1 inch knob of ginger
• 1 green onion

Instructions

1. Clean fresh pork kidney as per instructions in blog post and marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
2. In a small bowl, add corn starch to chopped kidney with sugar, soy sauce and black vinegar, massage to mix together.
3. Chop green onion into one inch segments, mince garlic and julienne ginger slices.
4. In a wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil until smoking and add kidney. Stir fry until the kidney until it begins to brown then add ginger, green onion and garlic. Keep stir frying until kidney is cooked through.

0.1

Summer has officially arrived and that means food festivals. My favourite events during the hot months in Toronto are most definitely the Asian night markets that have become more and more popular in the past years. Wandering down aisles of stalls offering everything from bubble tea to stinky tofu, I’m always trying to figure out just how much I can eat. With their growing popularity though, it feels like the lines at night markets get longer and longer every year.

This year with Alivia in tow, we’ll be avoiding the crowds and heat. Instead, we’re taking inspiration from my favourite street food staple, BBQ lamb skewers, and bringing the flavours to our own backyard BBQ with this recipe for Spiced Pork Skewers.

With a few super simple steps, these skewers are great for any summer BBQ and so tasty. Using duBreton‘s Boneless Pork Filet made prep even easier, and oh my, the pork was so juicy and tender right out of the package. All of duBreton’s Certified Humane and Organic pork products are antibiotic-free and ethically-produced. They believe in letting pigs be pigs, which means they’re raised in crate-free environment with no physical alterations and fed a high-quality grain feed diet. Also, so, so tasty.

The spice mix has a bit of Sichuan numbness and heat (mala), which can be adjusted to taste. Grilling this recipe will bring the aroma of night market to your backyard, minus the stinky tofu, and without any lines while making #duBretonBetterChoices.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with duBreton. All ideas and opinions expressed are wholly mine.

Spiced Pork Skewers

2018-06-20 02:05:27

Yields 5

Quick and easy pork skewers, perfect for the BBQ

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp dried red chili flakes
2. 2 tsp fennel seeds
3. 1 tsp kosher salt
4. 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
5. 1 tbsp cumin powder
6. 2 tsp garlic powder
7. 1 tbsp vegetable oil
8. 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine
9. 1 pound duBreton Unmarinated Pork Boneless Filet

Instructions

1. Grind together the dried red chili flakes, fennel seeds, kosher salt and Sichuan peppercorns, then add the cumin and garlic powder, and combine thoroughly.
2. Set aside 1 tablespoon of spice mix, to be sprinkled onto the skewers as they're being grilled.
3. Cut the duBreton Pork Boneless Filet into 1 inch cubes and place in large mixing bowl, add in the spice mix, vegetable oil and Chinese cooking wine. Mix and make sure each piece of pork is coated on all sides.
4. Let the marinated pork rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
5. Preheat BBQ on medium heat and lightly oil grates.
6. Thread pork pieces onto skewers, packed loosely.
7. Grill skewers on BBQ over indirect medium heat for 4-6 mins per side, then finish on direct high heat until pork is no longer pink inside, 2-3 mins per side.
8. Let the skewers rest for 5-10 mins before serving.

Notes

1. Tip: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for over 2 hours to prevent the ends from burning on the BBQ
2. Tip: To thoroughly combine spice mixes, put all your ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake vigorously. This also allows you to make a large batch of spice mix and to easily store for next time.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Make spice mix

Cut duBreton Pork into 1 inch cubes and add spice mix, oil and Chinese cooking wine


Thread cubes onto skewers

Grill skewersover indirect medium heat for 4-6 mins per side, then finish on direct high heat until pork is no longer pink inside, 2-3 mins per side

Let rest for 5-10 mins before serving

Last year in December Stephen and I cat sat for one of our friends in Markham, who lived near First Markham Place. This meant we were often in the neighbourhood to play and cuddle with the energetic fur ball. Since we were already nearby, we’d stop by the food court at FMP to pick up dinner. For me, this was a box of Yu Xiang Eggplant from Yan Can Cook, my “healthy” pick, while Stephen would get Salt and Pepper Pork Chops.

I’m not sure how healthy my eggplant actually is, but it’s one of my favourite dishes and Yan’s version is one of the best. From Szechuan restaurants to food courts, if I see Yu Xiang Eggplant on the menu, I always choose it as my “vegetable” dish. Stephen’s fried eggplant dish uses plenty of garlic and packs a bit of heat. The flavours are classically Asian and totally satisfies my eggplant cravings.

Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce

2017-05-29 00:16:04

Serves 2

Eggplant dish with classic Asian flavours and lots of garlic

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp corn starch
2. 1 tbsp rice wine
3. 1 tbsp soy sauce
4. 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
5. 1 tbsp black bean chili paste (doubanjiang)
6. 1 cup water
7. 2 Chinese eggplants
8. 100g ground pork
9. 5-6 cloves of garlic
10. 1 dried chili pepper
11. 1 cup of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cut eggplants into 1-1.5 inch chunks and finely mince the garlic and dried chili pepper.
2. In a bowl, mix together the corn starch, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean chili paste and water to create a sauce.
3. In a large wok (or a pot with high walls), on medium-high heat, heat up the vegetable oil. Fry the chunks of eggplant until the outside browns, about 2-3 minutes. Once fried, remove from the eggplant from the oil and set aside. Remove all of the frying oil except for 1 tbsp.
4. Using the same wok, turn stove to high heat. Once the oil just begins to smoke, add in the ground pork, minced garlic and dried chili pepper. Stir fry the ground pork until browned.
5. Add the cooked eggplant and stir fry together, about 30 seconds.
6. Stir the previously mixed sauce and pour into the hot wok, continue to stir the eggplant and pork until the sauce thickens.
7. Optional: Garnish with fresh green onions, fried shallots and serve

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Assemble ingredients

Cut Chinese eggplant into chunks

Mince garlic and dried chilli peppers

Mix ingredients for sauce

Shallow fry eggplant chunks

Cook the ground pork

Add the minced garlic and dried chili peppers to the ground pork and cook until brown

Add the cooked eggplant

Add the combined sauce

Stir together until the sauce thickens

Continuing our adventure in recreating restaurant dishes at home, Stephen and I have been working on stir fried Shanghai Rice Cakes with little success. It’s one of our favourite dishes at Shanghai Dim Sum and one we order all the time. I was convinced the vegetable used was a kind of pickled Chinese cabbage. After trying two different brands and variations with seasoning, the flavour just wasn’t right. Stephen thought it was a fresh vegetable but we just couldn’t figure it out. Recently, we ate at Shanghai Dim Sum again with my family and was telling my mom about our unsuccessful cooking attempts. Right away, she named the mysterious greens! But in Mandarin. Luckily my cousin was there to translate and tada, the vegetable was Shepard’s Purse and is usually sold frozen in Asian grocery stores (similar to frozen spinach). With this puzzle piece in place, the rice cakes turned out bang on.

Shanghai Rice Cakes

2017-05-12 01:53:30

Stir fried chewy rice cakes with minced pork and frozen shepherd's purse

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

15 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

15 min

Ingredients

1. 100g of ground pork
2. 100g of frozen shepherd's purse vegetable
3. 1 cup of frozen rice cakes
4. 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
5. 2 tsp salt
6. 1 tsp white pepper

Instructions

1. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and put the frozen shepherd's purse in the bowl to defrost. Once it's full defrosted, squeeze the water out of the shepherd's purse using a paper towel or clean towel.
2. In another bowl, soak the frozen rice cakes in water for about 5 minutes to soften
3. In a separate bowl season the ground pork with the rice wine, salt and white pepper, mix thoroughly.
4. In a large pot, boil water and cook the softened rice cakes as per their packaging. When cooked, remove the rice cakes from the water (do not pout out the hot water!) and rinse under cold water. This helps them from overcooking and sticking together.
5. With the burner on high, add oil to the wok and heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the seasoned ground pork and stir fry until the browned and rendered.
6. Add the drained shepherd's purse to the wok and stir fry for another 15 seconds.
7. Quickly dip the cooked rice cakes in the pot of hot water before adding them to the wok, this will separate any rice cakes that have stuck together. Stir fry everything together for about a minute.

Notes

1. Once the rice cakes are in the wok, make sure to keep them moving or they will stick to the wok.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Season the ground pork with the cooking wine, white pepper and salt

Drain the defrosted shepherd’s purse

Cook the rice cakes

Heat wok

Stir fry the pork and shepherd’s purse

Add the cooked rice cakes and serve

One of my favourite dishes at Kinka Izakaya is their Udon Carbonara, it’s creamy, rich and the perfect example of fusion done right. Unfortunately, it’s not available at all of their locations. When Stephen and I recently stopped by the Kinka North York outpost, we were disappointed that Udon Carbonara was not on the menu.

As we walked home (after a still delicious meal), we talked about making the dish at home ourselves. After all, we had taken a cooking class in Rome and learned how to make Spaghetti Carbonara. Our instructor had also sent us incredibly detailed instructions, so why not try it with udon? The first time we tried, the egg ended up a little scrambled, but with a few tweaks on timing (ie. letting the pan cool a bit more), delish. In the recipe, Stephen and I used frozen pucks of udon, which was perfect for two bowls. If you’re using the smaller instant kind, I would use 2 packs.

We also experimented with the cured meat substitute in place of of guanciale. The recipe below uses Chinese sausage, but I also really liked Chinese cured pork belly. Otherwise, thick cut bacon will always work.

Udon Carbonara

2017-04-25 02:39:03

Serves 2

Delicious combination of Eastern and Western cuisine.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1 Chinese sausage
2. 1 pack udon noodles
3. 1 large egg
4. 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
5. salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Dice Chinese sausage into 1cm chunks.
2. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
3. In a large pot, boil water and cook udon as per instructions on package.
4. While the udon cooks, heat a pan on medium heat and saute the Chinese sausage until crispy.
5. In a bowl, combine the grated parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
6. Once the udon is cooked, strain and add to the pan with the Chinese sausage, saute together for 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, stirring the noodles continuously, making the sure the eggs doesn't turn into scrambled eggs. Once the noodles are coated, plate immediately.
8. Top with freshly cracked black pepper, more grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Dice Chinese sausage

Grate Parmesan cheese

Mix grated cheese, egg, salt and pepper

Saute Chinese sausage until crispy

In a separate pot, cook udon then add to the cooked Chinese sausage and saute together

Add egg mixture to cooked udon, stirring continuously

Once the noodles are coated with the egg mixture, plate immediately

Top with freshly cracked black pepper and more grated cheese before serving

Last year I had the chance to try out Pai’s new lunch menu and take home a bag of groceries from their fresh Thai market. I went home with shiny lime leaves, ripe mangos, a bottle fish sauce, fragrant Thai basil and a bottle of Chef Nuit’s own chilli sauce. We used the ingredients from Pai to cook a Green Chicken Curry and stir fried ground pork with Thai basil. The minced pork dish was so easy and delicious that we’ve added the recipe to our regular rotation of meals at home. Except for basil, our kitchen is pretty much always stocked with the other ingredients needed. Stephen also recently bought a new carbon steel wok, so he’s been having lots of fun stir-frying anything. 

For a healthier version, the ground pork can easily be swapped for ground chicken or turkey. 

Thai Basil Ground Pork

2017-03-02 03:17:32

Serves 2

Quick and easy ground pork dish, perfect with rice

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 6-7 garlic cloves
2. 3-4 dried chilli peppers
3. 1/2 Thai basil leaves
4. 1/4 lb of ground pork
5. 1 tbsp fish sauce
6. 1 tsp soy sauce
7. 1/5 tsp sugar
8. 2 tbsp water
9. 1 tbsp cooking oil
10. 1 egg (optional)

Instructions

1. Mince garlic,cut up dried chilli peppers, pull Thai basil leaves off of the stem and chop roughly.
2. In a small bowl, measure out the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and stir together.
3. In a pan or wok on high heat, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot (just begins to smoke), add the garlic and chilli peppers. Stir fry until the garlic is browned and fragrant.
4. Add the ground pork to the wok or pan and stir fry. Be sure to break up the meat for it cook evenly until brown.
5. Once the meat is cooked, add in the sauce and stir. Then add in the Thai basil leaves. If all the sauce has dried up, add 2 tbsp of water and stir together again until all the ingredients are incorporated.
6. Serve over rice. Optional: Top with a fried egg

Notes

1. The amount of garlic, chilli peppers and basil can be adjusted to taste. I like mine with lots of garlic and basil.
2. Dried chilli peppers can be swapped out for fresh Thai chilli peppers, or any other variety you have on-hand.
3. Tip: The best way to cut up dried chilli peppers is to hold the stem and use scissors. This reduces the risk of getting hot peppers onto your fingers and then elsewhere.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Mince garlic

Prep chilli peppers and Thai basil

Mix together sauces and sugar

In a hot pan or wok on high heat, heat the oil and sir fry the garlic and chilli peppers until fragrant

Add the ground pork

Cook the ground pork, breaking it up, until brown

Once the ground pork is cooked, add the sauce, stir together, and the add the Thai basil leaves

Every now and then when The Hubs and I are eating out, we fall in love with a dish and immediately think “we need to make this at home”. One of these was Claypot Steamed Rice. After researching different recipes and techniques online, we’ve now made the dish 3 times with varying degrees of success. I’m still not 100% confident each time we lift the pot lid if every grain of rice is cooked and that if we scrap the bottom, there will be a wonderful layer of crispy burnt rice, but we’ve definitely figured out some tips to increase the probability.

My father-in-law keeps warning us about how he’s cracked multiple clay pots over the years, so we’re extra cautious each time we cook with ours. To help prevent any cracking, make sure to season the pot before use. We soaked ours for 24 hours in water and then cooked a small batch of congee, starting with low heat for 10 minutes and then medium until cooked. Do not eat the congee.

Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage

2016-12-10 02:02:27

Serves 2

An addictive rice dish that's full of flavour.

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Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hr

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hr

Ingredients

1. 1 seasoned clay pot (1.5 to 2 quart capacity)
2. 1 cup of white rice
3. 1 cup of water
4. 1 Chinese pork sausage
5. 1 Chinese liver sausage
6. 2 inch chunk of cured pork belly
7. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
8. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
9. 1 tbsp fish sauce
10. 2 tsp pinch of sugar
11. A pinch of white pepper
12. Chopped green onion for garnish

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and add to the pot along with an equal amount of cold water, soak for one hour.
2. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes to gradually warm up the pot (never start at high heat), and then turn the stove up to medium and steam for another 30 minutes. Do not lift the lid while the rice is cooking for these first 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, place the Chinese sausages and pork belly on top of the rice and steam for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. This part may take a bit of experimentation to get the timing down pat depending on each stove and pot. If you find the rice is still uncooked (grains are hard and flakey), poke a few holes with a chopstick, add a small amount of water (less than a quarter cup), and steam for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let sit. In the meantime, take the meats from the pot and slice up. Mix together the sauces, sugar and white pepper.
5. Top the rice with the sliced meats and sauce mixture, mix it all together and garnish with green onion.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Cook the rice and prep the sausage to be added once the rice is cooked


Once the rice is 90% cooked, add in the Chinese sausage and cook for another 10 minutes

For me, Macaroni and cheese is a quintessential comfort food, especially in winter. Dressed up with lobster or straight from a box, the dish can fit any occasion. Italpasta recently launched their own brand of Macaroni and Cheese made with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. There are three flavours available, original, extra creamy and white cheddar, all made with 100% Canadian wheat and real Canadian cheddar cheese. I tried out a box of the white cheddar flavour and really enjoyed the creamy, cheesy, very easy to make macaroni. The next time I send my little brother a care package at university, there will be a few blue boxes being sent his way.

Like any other boxed macaroni and cheese, Italpasta’s version can be cooked on the stovetop or microwave. I prefer the stove top method and being able to control the amount of cheese powder I put in. Following the instructions on the box, the macaroni took less than 5 minutes to cook. I substituted water for milk (as we were all out at home) and the result was a little less creamy, but just as cheesy.

For an added crunch and savoury flavour, I added chopped up bacon bits and topped with bread crumbs. I garnished each bowl with a few snips of spring onion for a touch of colour. Even with my (slight) modifications, Italpasta’s macaroni and cheese took no time to make. The pasta itself had a great texture and the white cheddar cheese had a lot of flavour. When I first opened the cheese packet, I was immediately reminded of white cheddar flavoured popcorn, one of my favourite snacks, and the cooked result did not disappoint.

Here are a few other ideas to spice up your boxed macaroni and cheese ranging from simple to gourmet:

• After cooking, add a dash of curry powder for some punch
• Add a dash of chilli powder, paprika and chipotle pepper for spice
• Add more grated cheese (parmesan or cheddar) for extra ooziness
• Add a handful of spinach while cooking
• Add in chopped hotdogs and serve it all on a bun
• Use macaroni and cheese as a pizza topping
• Roll into balls, cover in panko, and deep fry for goodness

For a chance to try Italpasta Macaroni and Cheese yourself, check out my Instagram page where I’m giving away an Italpasta prize pack filled with all things warm and cozy! Included in the package are two boxes of Italpasta Macaroni and Cheese, warm socks, a cozy blanket and a cheese plush! Contest ends December 1st, 2016.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All food reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If I see Dan Dan Mian on a menu, I’m guaranteed to order it. The simple bowl of noodles topped with minced pork and sweet Sichaun sauce is one of all time favourite dishes. At home, I’ve tried making the noodles using store bought seasoning packages, which come close in flavour, but doesn’t quite replicate the taste of dan dan noodles from my favourite restaurants. After our succesfull attempt at La Zhi Ji Ding, The Hubby was confident he could cook the dish from scratch and tweak the recipe to appeal to my taste buds. I’m a lucky woman. For the most part, we followed this recipe from “The Woks of Life” but made a couple of adjustments based on what we had in our cupboards. The recipe turned out fairly easy, and very delicious. We now also have a jar of homemade chilli oil, that adds a drizzle of goodness to any dish.

Dan Dan Mian

2016-11-06 23:02:28

Serves 2

Quick and easy take on an essential Sichuan dish

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsps crushed Sichuan peppercorns
2. 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
3. 1 stick of Chinese cinnamon
4. 2 whole star anise
5. 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes
6. 1 cup of oil
7. 1 lb ground pork
8. 2 tsps hoisin sauce
9. 2 tsps Chinese cooking wine
10. 1 tsp dark soy sauce
11. 1 tsp five spice powder
12. 2 tbsps of peanut butter
13. 3 tbsps of soy sauce
14. 2 tsps sugar
15. 2 cloves of minced garlic
16. 1 lb somen noodles
17. 2-3 baby bok choy
18. chopped green onion to garnish

Instructions

1. For the chilli oil, in a small pot add the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon and star anise. Over low to medium heat, heat the oil until it reaches 160 degrees Celsius and remove from the stove. Let the oil sit for 5-6 minutes and then take out the star anise and cinnamon stick. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes while the oil is still hot, which will release a strong fragrant aroma. The oil can be set aside and will be ready to use once cool.
2. In a oiled pan, heat until the oil begins to smoke and add in the ground pork, hoisin sauce, cooking wine, dark soy sauce and 1/2 tsp of five spice powder. Sautee until all of the liquid has evaporated and the pork is brown. Set aside.
3. Cook the somen according to the instructions on the package and drain.
4. Using the water from the cooked noodles, blanche the bok choy leaves.
5. In a large bowl, assemble the sauce for the noodles using 1/2 cup of the chilli oil, peanut butter, 3 tbsps of soy sauce, sugar, 1/2 tsp five spice powder, 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns and minced garlic.
6. To serve, portion out the cooked, drained noodles, add in a ladle or two of sauce (and more chilli oil if needed), top with bok choy, cooked ground pork and garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes

1. Tip: If you're worried about the level of spiciness, start with using less chilli oil to the sauce. You can always add more directly to the noodles.
2. Tip: We substituted peanut butter for tahini sauce, both will work
3. Note: While heating up the oil for the chilli oil, we actually went higher than 162 degrees Celsius, which made the crushed pepper flakes quite dark.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Heat the oil and spices to 160 degrees celsius

After letting the oil sit for 5-6mins, remove the cinnamon stick and star anise, add in the crushed red pepper flakes

Assemble ingredients for cooking the ground pork topping

Cook the ground pork until dry

Assemble ingredients for sauce


Put it all together in a bowl with the cooked somen and vegetables