Stir-Fried Lo Mein Noodles with Pork and Vegetables

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound fresh lo mein noodles
• 1 pound country-style boneless pork ribs or boneless pork loin chops
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese black or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, peanut, or canola, divided
• 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 4 scallions, white parts cut in 1-inch pieces, light green parts very thinly sliced; divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cored purple cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Chinese broccoli or cored Napa cabbage
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish, optional
• Sambal oelek, for serving, optional

Directions

1. Fill a pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions, using tongs or long chopsticks to stir often, until they are al dente and loosened from one another. Drain and put them aside.
2. Cut away any extra fat from the pork, then slice the meat into slim pieces about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long. In a bowl, combine the baking soda with 1/2 cup cold water. Add the pork, toss until every piece is coated, and leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. While the pork sits, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, wine, fish sauce, and cornstarch until the sugar has dissolved. Set it aside.
4. Drain the pork thoroughly, rinse it under cold water, and blot it dry with paper towels. Return the pork to the rinsed and dried bowl. Add 2 tablespoons (15ml) of the sauce and stir until the meat is evenly coated.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic, and white scallion pieces, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Turn the heat to high, then add the purple cabbage, Chinese broccoli or Napa cabbage, and carrots. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the vegetables are lightly charred here and there and just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Move them to a plate.
6. Pour 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil into the wok or skillet and heat it over high heat until it smokes. Add the pork in a single layer and let it sear without fussing until the first side is crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep cooking, stirring and tossing, until the pork is just cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer it to the plate with the vegetables.
7. Wipe the wok or skillet clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil and heat it over high heat until smoking. Add the noodles and cook, stirring and tossing, until they are hot.
8. Add the rest of the sauce, along with the vegetables and pork, to the noodles. Toss everything together over the heat until well combined. Transfer the lo mein to a platter and scatter the sliced green scallions over the top, plus sesame seeds if you are using them. Serve right away, with sambal oelek passed alongside if desired.