Pork Pad Thai
Adapted from this NYT Cooking recipe.
- 4 ounces fettuccine-width rice stick noodles
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 to 4 tablespoons gochujang paste
- ¼ cup fish sauce (nam pla)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 large kale leaf, shredded
- ½ lb ground pork
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 limes, quartered
Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon canola oil to keep from sticking and set aside. Meanwhile, put 1 tablespoon gochujang paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Taste and add more gochujang paste if desired. It should be piquant, but not unpleasantly sour. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.
Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done. Add kale and continue to cook until it begins to wilt, then add pork.
Stir, breaking up pork pieces, until meat begins to brown, then add drained noodles to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with sauce and combine well. Season to taste with salt. When noodles are warmed through, toss with peanuts and cilantro until evenly distributed. Serve with lime wedges as garnish.
