You have to love this intriguing title. Although it evokes an image not necessarily conducive to eating, it is so Chinese to give something a name that elevates it to another level. The key to this simple stir-fry is the noodle. You must use vermicelli made from bean starch: rice noodles just won’t work. This dish is so Chinese it begs for a cold Tsingtao, which is so clean, light and drinkable thanks to the inclusion of rice, which is also used in popular Western beers such as Budweiser and Coors.
Ingredients
- 10½ oz (300 g) minced (ground) pork
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3½ oz (100 g) bean thread vermicelli noodles
- 9 fl oz/1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light peanut oil
- 1 small red chilli finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons spring onion (scallion) thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Chinese chilli bean sauce
How to Make It
- Combine the pork, light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar and sea salt in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the cornflour. Using your hands, rub the marinade all over the meat. Set aside for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Put the noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to soften for about 10 minutes, then drain. Combine the stock, dark soy sauce and remaining 1 teaspoon of cornflour in a bowl, stirring until smooth; set aside.
- Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat and swirl the wok around to coat in the oil. Add the chilli and half the spring onion and stir-fry for just a few seconds, until just softened. Add the pork and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, using a wok spatula or wooden spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces.
- Add the chilli bean sauce and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, so the juices in the wok turn a fiery red.
- Stir the noodles though, then add the stock mixture. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Allow the sauce to boil until it thickly coats the noodles and meat. Serve scattered with the remaining spring onion.