Stir-Fried Udon
Better than take-out, quick and easy dinner!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 4 cups very coarsely chopped green cabbage, about 1/4 medium head
- 2 7-ounce packages instant udon noodles, flavor packets discarded.
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 5 scallions, white and pale green parts coarsely chopped, dark-green parts thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob)
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup mirin (can substitute 1/3 cup dry white wine with 1 tablespoon sugar added to it)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced,optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add cabbage and cook, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until the thickest parts of the cabbage leaves are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set skillet aside.
- Place udon in large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don't have one) and cover with 6 cups of boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain in a colander. NOTE: If you substitute regular udon noodles, like I did, for instant, follow cooking directions on the package.
- Transfer noodles back to the bowl and toss with sesame oil. Transfer cabbage to bowl with noodles. Wipe out skillet.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across the surface of the pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is brown, about 3 minutes.
- When the pork is browned, break up the meat into small bits. Cook, tossing, just until there's no more pink, about 1 minute.
- Add chopped scallion (the pale parts), ginger, and red pepper. Continue to cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and the bottom of the skillet has started to brown, about 1 minute.
- Add udon mixture, mirin and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are coated in sauce. Be sure to scrape bottom of the skillet to dissolved any browned bits, about 45 seconds.
- Remove from heat and fold in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and dark-green parts of the scallions. Top with more sesame seeds and sliced hard-cooked eggs, if desired.