Noodles with Pork and Black Bean Sauce

Necessity is often the mother of invention, at least in my kitchen. The first time I made these noodles it was to use the last bits of a black bean sauce that had outworn its welcome in my refrigerator. While I should have been more creative and used it  for a non-Asian type of dish, I was in a rush and wanted to get on with my evening. Lots of Asian food gets made in my kitchen because I'm always in a hurry at the end of the day. At any rate, I grabbed a notebook, pillaged the pantry and started to take notes. The note taking is a habit I develop when I was an active participant in cooking contests. One of the first lessons I learned is that memory is a fickle and can't be trusted to retain the minute details associated with recipe creation. Something, usually small, will be lost in translation and a second stab at a once stellar dish will be quite humdrum. So, the first items I grab when I'm creating are a pencil and my notebook. This recipe came together quickly and the only tricky aspect was getting the right balance between the bean and oyster sauce. All of the ingredients used to make these noodles can be found in large grocery stores, so, I think those of you who are so inclined will be able to make them without a hassle or ingredient search. This is a fast and easy recipe and if you like the flavor of black beans I know you will enjoy the noodles. Here's the recipe.

Noodles with Pork and Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons black bean sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry

1 tablespoon sugar

Pepper to taste

Stir-Fry

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 pound pork tenderloin cut into thin strips

1/2 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 small bok choy or a few cabbage leaves chopped

12 ounces hot cooked Chinese egg noodles or linguine

Directions:

1) To make sauce: Combine cornstarch, chicken broth, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine and sugar in a small bowl. Stir until sauce is smooth.

2)  Heat a wok or large skillet pan  until hot. Add  oil and swirl to coat sides of pan. Add pork and cook until no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic to wok and cook until vegetables are crisp tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Return pork to pan. Stir in bok choy and toss ingredients to mix. Stir in reserved sauce and cook until it thickens. Place noodles in a bowl and top with pork and black bean mixture. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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