Dry-tossed Minced Meat Noodles

With shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce & vinegar dressing – BAK CHOR MEE –

SINGAPORE

There are tons of similar dry-tossed noodles all over Asia, but as a Singaporean, I’m biased towards bak chor mee – chewy egg noodles, slippery with fragrant lard and fried shallot oil and coated with an addictive sauce made with sweet black vinegar, soy sauce and the mother of all chilli sauces, sambal tumis belachan. The vinegar and soy sauce are very typical of noodles in southern China, where the dish and its many variations originated from, but there is a very unique Singaporean twist that our migrant Teochew forefathers added – sambal tumis belachan. The chilli, slow-fried with shallots and fermented shrimp paste, adds not just heat but a hit of pungency to the sauce. The ratios for the sauce are just a guide. For instance, I always ask for extra vinegar when I order this from the hawker stalls; Chinese black vinegar has a wonderful musky sweet-sharpness that helps to cut the richness of the pork fat.

Serves 2 

• 100g minced pork
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 70g very fresh pork liver, sliced (optional)
• 2 bundles of flat egg noodles, mee pok (see here)
• 500ml pork stock (see here)
• sea salt

For the braised mushrooms (makes extra)

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon good soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon unrefined brown sugar

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sambal tumis belachan (see here)
• 1 tablespoon fried shallot oil (see here)
• 2 teaspoons lard

To serve

• fried crackling (see here)
• fried shallots (see here)
• chopped spring onions
• lettuce leaves

1. Mix the minced pork with the light soy sauce and white pepper. If using the liver, marinate in the same amount of soy sauce and pepper in a separate bowl. Put the mushrooms into a bowl and pour over enough water to cover them, then add all the seasonings and mix well. Leave both in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate, preferably overnight.
2. The next day, slice the mushrooms into fat slivers. Bring them to the boil in the soaking liquid and simmer gently until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the mushrooms are plump with delicious juices.
3. Combine the ingredients for the sauce and divide between bowls.
4. Blanch the noodles in boiling water until they are cooked but still retain a toothy, springy bite. Fresh noodles only take seconds, while dried noodles will take longer – a good gauge is when they float to the top. Do it portion by portion for best results. Drain well by tossing hard in a sieve to shake off excess water, then add the noodles to the bowls. Using a pair of chopsticks, toss them in the oily sauce immediately, making sure each strand is well coated. It is important to do this while the noodles are still warm, otherwise they will clump and stick together as they cool.
5. Bring the pork stock to a rolling boil. Season with salt, then blanch the minced pork in the stock for a minute, or until cooked. Use a fine sieve to remove the pork, then add to the noodles. Repeat with the liver, if using.
6. To finish, tuck 2 or 3 lettuce leaves under the noodles, and top with the braised mushrooms, lardons and fried shallots. Ladle the hot pork broth into smaller bowls and finish with an added dash of white pepper and a scattering of spring onions, and serve alongside the bowls of noodles.