From inthekitchenwithkath.com
(Adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook)
Serves 4
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil, but other cooking oils are fine)
8 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1 head Napa cabbage (1½ to 2 pounds), chopped
½ cup water
8 ounces medium rice noodles, cooked according to package directions*
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili oil
Black pepper
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro (really good, but optional)
Lime wedges (optional)
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground pork. Sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the pork is cooked and has browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
4. Add the cabbage to the pan with the ½ cup of water. (If the cabbage doesn’t all fit, put as much as you can in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it cooks down and then add the rest.)
5. Cook the cabbage until it has softened and all of the water has evaporated, about 15 - 20 minutes. Continue cooking until it starts to brown a bit, about 5 minutes more.
6. When the cabbage is almost done, cook the rice noodles. Follow the package directions.
*If there are no directions for cooking the noodles, here’s how I cooked my medium rice noodles. Bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil in a 2 or 3 quart pan. Remove from the heat. Immerse the rice noodles in the pan. Stir and then let them stand for 8 – 10 minutes. Reserve about ½ cup of the water, and then drain and rinse with cold water.
7. Add the noodles, pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and some black pepper to the cabbage. Stir well. If it seems a bit dry, add some of the water that was reserved from cooking the noodles.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
9. Serve topped with the cilantro and with lime wedges, if desired.