Szechuan-style pork with crispy noodles

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 300 g lean pork belly, without rind
• ½ pack of Chinese egg noodles, type linguine
• 2 small onions, red
• 1 medium-sized garlic clove(s)
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green, fresh or frozen
• 1 piece(s) ginger, fresh or frozen
• 6 g lemongrass, fresh or frozen
• 1 small zucchini, green
• 1 tbsp plum paste
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (saus tiram)
• 1 tsp chili sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, light
• 2 tbsp Arak Masak
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp Arak Masak
• 1 ½ liters of frying oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Served here with fried zucchini slices and green beans.

Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Wash and dry the meat, and freeze in plastic wrap in the freezer for about 1 hour. Use a bread slicer to cut the frozen meat into 5–6 mm thick slices. Brush these with the marinade and marinate for about 2 hours. Remove the slices from the marinade. Wipe off any excess marinade, but do not discard it. Place the meat slices in a deep plate and steam in a steamer for 10 minutes. Drain the meat slices well and add the liquid, along with any sauce that has collected in the plate, to the remaining marinade. Leave the noodles in the block and wet them thoroughly. Once the noodles have become elastic in about 10 minutes, cut the block in half crosswise with a knife. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and cut them lengthwise into thin sticks. Wash the small green chili, cut them crosswise into thin slices, leaving the seeds on, and discarding the stem. Cut a piece of fresh ginger about 3 cm long, wash, and peel. Cut the piece lengthwise into thin slices and chop these into thin strips. Weigh and thaw the frozen goods. Wash the fresh lemongrass, remove the tough stalk at the bottom, discard the brown and wilted leaves, and use only the white or light green parts. Cut these into thin slices. Remove the outer, green leaves if desired. Weigh and thaw the frozen goods. Wash the zucchini, trim both ends, and cut crosswise into approximately 5 mm thick slices (you will need 8 slices). Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry until the garlic starts to brown. Add the chili, ginger, and lemongrass and stir-fry for 1 minute. Deglaze with the marinade and 2 tablespoons of arak masak, adding a little honey to taste. Remove the sauce from the pan and clean the pan. Add the remaining sunflower oil and fry the zucchini slices on both sides. Heat the frying oil in a wok (a wooden spoon handle should bubble after 2 seconds of immersion and foam after 4 seconds). Fry the noodles in the hot oil until they turn light brown around the edges. Remove and place on kitchen paper. Fry the meat slices in batches until they float to the top (approx. 1.5 minutes). Arrange on a serving dish, pour over the sauce, and serve immediately.