Ground Pork with Glass Noodles
About This Dish
This is one of those dishes that looks unassuming but is absolutely addictive. The glass noodles soak up all that savory, slightly spicy sauce, and they have this incredible chewy, slippery texture that's just so satisfying. The ground pork adds richness, and the doubanjiang gives it that depth of flavor. It's simple, it's comforting, and it goes with rice like nothing else. This is the kind of dish my mom would make on a random Tuesday, and we'd all end up eating way more than we should.
Flavors
Nutrition Information
Ingredients
- Glass noodles (sweet potato starch noodles)
- Ground pork
- Doubanjiang
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Shaoxing wine
- Sugar
Instructions
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1
Soak the glass noodles in warm water until they're soft and pliable—this usually takes about 20 minutes. Cut them into manageable lengths with scissors.
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2
Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and break it up with your spatula. Cook until it's no longer pink and starting to brown a bit.
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3
Add the doubanjiang and cook until you see the red oil start to appear. This takes a minute or two—be patient. Then add minced garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant.
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4
Add the soaked noodles, along with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and a pinch of sugar. Toss everything together.
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5
Add enough water to almost cover the noodles. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer.
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6
Let it cook until the noodles are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid. The sauce should be thick and clinging to the noodles. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes.
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7
If there's still too much liquid, turn up the heat and let it reduce. You want the sauce to be thick and glossy.
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8
Finish with chopped scallions, give it a final toss, and serve hot over rice.
Cooking Tips
- Soak the noodles first. If you try to cook them from dry, they'll take forever and won't absorb the flavors as well. Warm water works best—hot water can make them too soft.
- Break up the ground pork as you cook it. You don't want big clumps—small, crumbly pieces work best here.
- Low heat when simmering is key. You want the noodles to slowly absorb all that flavorful liquid. If the heat is too high, the liquid will evaporate before the noodles are done.
- The noodles will continue to absorb liquid as they sit, so if the sauce seems a bit thin when you're done cooking, that's okay. It'll thicken up as it sits.
Quick Summary
Soak glass noodles until soft, then cook ground pork with doubanjiang until fragrant. Add noodles and seasonings, then simmer until noodles are tender and sauce is thick.
