Jul 10, 2018

Pork Belly Stir-fry

Hawaii loves pork belly, why not... it's bacon, well sort of, bacon is cured with salt and also smoked! Add Chinese wood ear mushrooms, red bell pepper and chow fun rice noodles and you have a beautifully simple Chinese meal that is easy to make.




















Wok Fried Pork Belly with Black Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Chinese dried wood ear mushrooms
This mushroom has other names
such as tree ear and black fungus.
Usually found the the Asian section
of your grocery store.
Click on photo to view larger
2 seven ounce packages of fresh chow fun noodles (wide rice noodles)
1 pound pork belly, cut into thin 1/8" thick bite-size slices
1 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in cold water for
    2 hours and chopped roughly
1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black bean sauce
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
2 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces for garnish

Procedure:
Heat slightly salted water in a wok, enough to cover the chow fun noodles. When it comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook 3 or 4 minutes. Drain noodles in a colander in the sink. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of canola oil over the top of the noodles and toss to prevent them from sticking together, set aside.

In the same wok, sear sliced pork belly in a dry wok over medium high heat, about 20 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. You will need to turn the pieces often to keep from burning. 

Drain all but 1 teaspoon of the grease in the wok. Now add the bell pepper and stir-fry for a couple minutes. 

Add the low sodium soy sauce, black bean sauce, garlic and mushrooms. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes to blend all the flavors.

Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes over medium heat. Now add the cooked chow fun noodles. Stir one last time until noodles are hot, then serve garnished with sliced green onions. I like to serve this dish with cold beer and fresh fruit like black seedless grapes for dessert.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: The addition of fresh frozen Edamame (cooked fresh soybeans) adds more vegetables to this dish. Simply bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the beans and boil over high heat for 5 or 6 minutes. Don't cover the pot or the beans will lose their bright green color. When ready, drain beans and serve mixed with the stir-fry.


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