Serves 4
20 min
Taiwanese Pork Noodle (Lo Ba)
Recipe GLPRd3efb3917350e7
A classic Taiwanese dish featuring tender rice noodles topped with a fragrant, savory-sweet spiced pork sauce. Ground pork is cooked with aromatic cinnamon, star anise, garlic, and shallots, then simmered in a balanced blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. The noodles are briefly boiled and chilled to achieve the perfect texture before being dressed with the rich, flavorful sauce.
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Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound ground pork
1 (10 ounce) package dry rice noodles
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 whole star anise
Directions
Fill a large bowl with 12 ice cubes and 4 cups of cold water, then set aside. In a separate large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
Add the dry rice noodles to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Remove the pot from heat and allow the noodles to rest in the hot water for an additional 2 minutes.
Carefully drain the noodles and immediately transfer them to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Let them cool for about 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, warm water, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cooking oil, then immediately add the sliced shallots, minced garlic, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Sauté for about 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
Add the ground pork to the pan, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon or spatula. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pork is browned and cooked through (internal temperature of 160°F), about 5-7 minutes.
Pour the soy-vinegar sauce mixture into the pan with the cooked pork. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine flavors.
Divide the cooled rice noodles among serving bowls and top each portion with the warm spiced pork sauce. Serve immediately.
