Yakisoba

Circle B Kitchen

Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman

This really is an amazingly delicious version of yakisoba that has become part of our regular dinner rotation. The only change I made to the recipe was to add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the sauce. Without it, the sauce sort of sinks to the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the noodles and flavoring each bite. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand. I love to add in sliced mushrooms and often substitute sliced radishes for the carrots.

6 ounces dried or 10 to 12 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 pork chops, thinly sliced (or sliced chicken or cubed tofu)

1 small head Napa or savoy cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)

2 carrots, shredded

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons mirin or a bit of sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Few drops hot sauce (recommended: sriracha)

1 bunch scallions, chopped, white parts only

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, and add noodles. Cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to rinse well and drain thoroughly. Toss noodles with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together, and set aside.

Put peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add ginger and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add your sliced meat or tofu and cook for about 5 minutes or until the it is no longer pink and is starting to brown around the edges.

Add cabbage and carrots to skillet and stir; sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook until vegetables soften, adding a bit of water, as needed to keep them from sticking.

Meanwhile, stir together in a small bowl ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mirin, and hot sauce. Whisk in the cornstarch. When vegetables are soft and any liquid has evaporated,add the sauce to skillet and stir until it begins to thicken a bit. Add in the noodles and most of the scallions, toss to coat everything well and cook until noodles are warmed through. Serve, topped with the remaining chopped scallions.