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Pork and Noodle Stir Fry

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Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick.  The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry.

This post is sponsored by JSL Foods, but all opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that support A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

I cannot stress enough how much I love stir fry recipes. They are simple and you can make them with almost anything you have in the house. I’ve used Spam, Italian sausage, Kyiv style chicken, and even a Cajun flavored stir fry. To me, stir fry is a method and not just an Asian recipe.

What is stir fry?

Stir try is a cooking method where ingredients cook in very hot oil for short periods of time. That’s the basics. However, there’s some technique to stir frying. And most do not know that there are two styles of stir fry. One includes a sauce which is chao and the other doesn’t have a sauce making for a crispier stir fry. The latter, called bao, shows up later in Chinese history.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

For stir fry to be successful the ingredients must be similar in size and shape. Think thin strips or bite sized pieces. This allows everything to cook evenly and quickly. It also allows everything to cook with little oil and preserving as many nutrients as possible from the raw vegetables. The longer vegetables cook, the more nutrients they lose. So, stir frying keeps all that goodness in your veggies along with the delicious flavor of stir frying.

Since stir frying uses such a high heat and quick cooking method, meat and veggies sear quickly. This prevents the natural juices from escaping and evaporating into the pan. Which makes for a more flavorful dinner on the quick.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

Why stir fry in a wok?

Stir fry is cooked in a wok. Usually the wok has that iconic shape for a reason. There are zones to the wok that allow for different cooking times based on the ingredients. The woks sold in the US are have a slightly different shape. And that’s because we don’t cook over a piping hot flame.

If you’ve ever watched one of those travel cooking shows where they go to Asia, you’ll know what I mean. It’s almost like the wok is over a large Bunsen burner with focused heat. None of use cook that way here. So, our woks have a flat bottom. Or if they’re round bottomed, they have a ring to place over the burner.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

Stir fry is sort of like planning Thanksgiving dinner. You should start with the thing that takes the longest to cook and work towards the thing that is the shortest. But as you work towards the quicker ingredients you don’t want to keep everything in the bottom of the pan. That’s where the iconic wok shape comes into play.

The flat bottom of the wok is for the things you are currently cooking. The sloping sides of the wok is a staging area or warming area for things you’ve seared but still need more cooking time. This is the beauty of stir frying. Everything eventually goes in the same skillet but in pecking order based on cooking times.

Can you stir fry in a skillet? Yes, or course. Before I got my wok I used a large skillet to stir fry dinner. And when I say large, I mean LARGE! I think it’s at least 16 inches across? This leaves plenty of room to cook in the center of the pan to sear and room on the edges to hold ingredients that are seared and waiting to join the rest of the ingredients.

Can stir fry vegetables be frozen?

Yes. But I wouldn’t suggest they still be frozen if you’re cooking the bao style stir fry. They will not get hot enough to sear properly. And they might cool the pan too much and prevent the rest of the ingredients to cook properly for a crispy stir fry.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

However, for a chao style stir fry, absolutely. I’ve made stir fry with frozen vegetables all the time. Especially if I make my homemade easy stir fry sauce. It allows the vegetables plenty of time to get a little sear on them before simmering in the sauce. And this stir fry homemade sauce is super easy and comes together with some basic pantry staples.

Can you make stir fry using leftover pork?

Absolutely! I did for this recipe. We had two nice, pan seared pork chops in the fridge leftover from a previous dinner. They were even sitting in a nice cream sauce. But I knew I would not eat them as they were. So, I repurposed them in this stir fry.

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

You can use any kind of leftover ingredients for stir fry. I’ve used peas, ham, chicken, and even sausage! Because who says that stir fry must be Asian in flavors? I sure don’t! I just use the methods to make delicious stir fry in many different types of cuisines. So, grab those leftover meatballs and make a different kind of spaghetti to go with them!

Is stir fry healthy?

It can be. Stir frying doesn’t require lots of oil. It’s more of a sear which keeps most if not all the nutrients in the veggies and meat. And the ingredients don’t sit in the oils like other cooking styles. It’s like me with shopping. Get in, get the job done, and get out. There’s no meandering in the pan with the oil so it can absorb into the ingredients. Stir fry is about quick cooking so the oil doesn’t get the change to permeate the food and lingering.

And if you chose lean meats with plenty of vegetables it can absolutely be healthy! I like to use center cut pork. And for beef, it’s usually eye of round or sirloin. Lately it’s been a top or petit sirloin because they have great flavor, are lean, and when quick cooked are still tender.

Make sure to watch the sodium content of your sauces. I always get the reduced sodium soy sauce. My preference is the tamari soy sauce. It has a great, rich flavor that’s different from regular soy sauce. I think it’s gluten free, too. Don’t quote me on that one.

For me, I must watch my use of sesame oil. It tastes delicious and I use it sparingly as a little garnish at the end of the cooking. If they made a perfume out of sesame seed oil, I would totally buy it. The aroma and flavor is so intoxicating to me

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge

Just look at all that ramen goodness right there! There’s the lean pork, green onions, red bell peppers, some squash, sugar snap peas, and a little water chestnut. That’s my favorite stir fry veggie mix. It has great crunch and flavor. And is perfect with the pork and stir fry sauce.

And yes, stir fry can be reheated in the microwave. It might make everything a little softer since they reheat from the inside out, but it’s totally doable. I do it all the time. Of course, I also eat it cold from the fridge, too. It has a different flavor. Try it sometime.

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Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry. #cooklikeawokstar #norulestostirfry #fortunerecipechallenge
Yield: 4

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Pork and Noodle Stir Fry is a quick an easy dinner on the table super quick. The Fortune noodles cook up quick and taste hearty and delicious in this simple stir fry.

Ingredients

For the stir fry:

  • 2 cups diced cooked pork
  • 2 cups frozen stir fry vegetable mix thawed and drained
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 packages Fortune Hot and Spice noodles
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

For the homemade stir fry sauce:

  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons of the hot and spicy packet mix from the noodle package (add more if you like it really spicy)

Instructions

For the stir fry sauce:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart jar with a lid and shake vigorously until combined. Or put the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir well with a whisk until combined.

For the stir fry:

  1. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high to high heat. I personally like high heat but it can make some smoke in the kitchen.
  2. Swirl in the olive oil and add the pork.
  3. Stir fry until the pork is extra crispy on the outside, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Move the pork to the outside of the wok or pan and add the vegetables.
  5. Stir fry the vegetables 2 to 3 minutes or until they start to brown.
  6. Remove the Fortune noodles from the outer package.
  7. Pierce the inner bag and microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes for the two packages.
  8. Move the vegetables to the outside of the pan and add the noodles to the center of the pan to stir fry 1 to 2 minutes.
  9. Shake the stir fry sauce and carefully pour it into the pan.
  10. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
  11. Garnish with the green onions before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

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