Colorful noodles with roasted pork in XO sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g pork belly, without rind, bones and fat
• 2 pinches of salt
• 2 pinches of black pepper, freshly ground
• 5 tbsp sunflower oil
• 20 g onion(s), red, small
• 5 g garlic clove(s)
• 10 g ginger
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green
• 1 tsp XO sauce
• 100 g coconut water
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp chicken broth powder
• ½ tsp tapioca flour
• 15 g ginger
• 50 g bell pepper(s), red
• 40 g bell pepper(s), green
• 4 Topai Cai (small Pak Choi variety), the hearts of which
• 2 small king oyster mushrooms
• 8 radishes
• 2 m.-large white cabbage leaves
• 10 g broth powder (mushroom bouillon, granules)
• 120 g Chinese egg noodles (Linguine type)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

A Szechuan dish of 8 delicacies.

Using a sausage and bread slicer, slice the thawed pork belly lengthwise into approximately 6 mm thick strips. Season the strips with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides in sunflower oil and remove from the cooking fat. Once the strips have cooled slightly, cut them crosswise into approximately 4 cm wide pieces and set aside. For the XO sauce, peel the onions, garlic cloves, and ginger. Roughly chop the onions and garlic cloves, and thinly slice the ginger across the grain and roughly chop them. Thinly slice the washed chili crosswise, leaving the seeds and discarding the stem. Mix the XO sauce with the coconut water, oyster sauce, chicken stock powder, and tapioca flour until smooth. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger in the cooking fat (from the belly strips) until light brown. Strain the cooking fat and deglaze the vegetables with the sauce mixture, bring to a boil briefly, and keep warm. For the colorful noodles, thinly slice the peeled ginger across the grain, then cut these into fine strips. Slice the washed bell peppers lengthwise, trim and deseed them, and cut them lengthwise into thin strips. Wash the topai hearts and use them whole. Clean the king oyster mushrooms and cut the stems lengthwise into strips approximately 4 cm long and 4 mm thick. Cut the caps crosswise into strips. Clean the washed radishes and quarter them lengthwise. Cut the washed white cabbage leaves into 3 x 4 cm pieces. Have all the ingredients for the colorful noodles ready. For the noodles, bring 360 ml of water to a boil. Dissolve the mushroom stock powder in it and cook the noodles in the stock according to the package instructions until al dente. Strain, reserving the noodles and stock. Heat the XO sauce, but do not boil. Add the meat pieces. Heat the frying fat in a wok until very hot. Add the ingredients for the colorful noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the noodles, fry for 2 minutes, then deglaze with the stock. Bring to a boil briefly. To serve, pour the XO sauce and the fried noodles into serving bowls, serve, and enjoy. Note: Topai is a small, half-sized variety of pak choi (Chinese leafy greens with a slight mustard flavor). Topai leaves grow in a circle on a short stalk (similar to lettuce). The inner leaves (the hearts) are yellowish and are considered a special delicacy. Topai’s mustard flavor is less pronounced, and the inner leaves taste similar to lettuce. Note: The translation is not clear: Bok Choi, Topai Cai, and Top Cai are also possible.