Yakisoba with Pork and Cabbage

Name: Yakisoba with Pork and Cabbage
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 packs (5.3 oz each) (600 g) fresh pre-steamed yakisoba noodles, left in the package, seasoning packets discarded; 8 oz (225 g) thinly sliced pork belly, cut crosswise into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces; 10½ oz (about 6 cups) (300 g) green cabbage, core removed, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) squares; 1 medium (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm) matchsticks; ½ medium (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices; 1 tsp (5 ml) neutral vegetable oil; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, room temperature; 4 tbsp (60 ml) tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) ketchup; 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (30 g) red pickled ginger (beni shoga), drained, roughly chopped if the strands are long; 1 tsp (1 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional); ¼ cup (3 g) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), loosely packed (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Japanese street-food stir-fried noodles with crisp-edged pork belly, sweet cabbage and carrot, all coated in a tangy, savory homemade yakisoba sauce and finished with bright pickled ginger. It's on the table in about 30 minutes.

Prep: 18 min
Cook: 14 min
Total: 32 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 1½ to 2 cups / 325 g each, roughly 1.3 kg total)

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 packs (5.3 oz each) (600 g) fresh pre-steamed yakisoba noodles, left in the package, seasoning packets discarded
8 oz (225 g) thinly sliced pork belly, cut crosswise into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
10½ oz (about 6 cups) (300 g) green cabbage, core removed, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) squares
1 medium (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm) matchsticks
½ medium (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
1 tsp (5 ml) neutral vegetable oil
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (30 ml) water, room temperature
For the yakisoba sauce
4 tbsp (60 ml) tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) ketchup
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
To finish
2 tbsp (30 g) red pickled ginger (beni shoga), drained, roughly chopped if the strands are long
1 tsp (1 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional)
¼ cup (3 g) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), loosely packed (optional)

Equipment (7)

14-inch (35 cm) flat-bottomed wok or very large deep pan (a 12-inch / 30 cm skillet works only if you cook in two batches)
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Small bowl and spoon for the sauce
Microwave-safe plate (for loosening the noodles)
Long cooking chopsticks or a wide spatula
Large plate lined with paper towels (for the cooked pork)
Heatproof bowl or jar for the spooned-off pork fat

Steps

Before you start

Have everything chopped and the sauce mixed before you turn on the heat. The cooking goes fast, and you won't have time to prep once the pan is hot.
Use pre-steamed yakisoba noodles sold in vacuum packs in the refrigerated section (about 150 g / 5.3 oz each). If your packs come with seasoning powder, discard it or save it for another use. This recipe uses its own sauce.
If your pork belly is not already pre-sliced, freeze it for 20 to 30 minutes so it is firm enough to slice thinly (about ⅛ inch / 3 mm).
This makes about 1.3 kg of food. Use a 14-inch (35 cm) wok or a very large, deep pan. If you only have a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet, cook the vegetables and noodles in two batches (instructions are in the steps).

1
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the tonkatsu sauce (60 ml), oyster sauce (30 ml), ketchup (15 ml), soy sauce (15 ml) and sugar (1 tsp).
- Stir for about 30 seconds until the sugar dissolves and the sauce looks uniform and glossy.
- Set it next to the stove.
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Ready when: No sugar granules remain and the sauce is a uniform dark brown.
2
Loosen the noodles
- Leave the noodles in their packs and pierce each bag a few times with a fork.
- Microwave the packs on a plate for 1 minute.
- Alternatively, empty the noodles into a bowl, pour over hot water for 30 seconds, then drain well.
- Open the packs and gently pull the noodle clumps apart with your fingers.
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Ready when: The noodles separate into loose strands with no stuck-together blocks.
Tip: Loosening them first prevents tearing and mushy noodles when you stir-fry.
3
Cut pork and vegetables
- Cut the pork belly into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- Cut the cabbage into 1½-inch (4 cm) squares, slice the onion ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, and cut the carrot into thin 2-inch matchsticks.
- Keep the pork on its own plate, and keep the cabbage separate from the carrot and onion, because they go into the pan at different times.
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Ready when: Carrot pieces are thin and even so they cook in the same time as the onion.
Tip: Cut the carrot thinner than you think you need to. Thick pieces stay raw in this quick cook.
4
Render the pork
- Heat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable oil (1 tsp) and swirl to coat.
- Add the pork belly in a single layer, sprinkle with salt (¼ tsp) and black pepper (¼ tsp), and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally.
- The pork is ready when the fat has turned translucent and melted, the edges are golden brown and lightly crisp, and no pink remains.
- Transfer the pork with a slotted spoon to the paper-towel-lined plate.
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Ready when: Pork edges are golden and crisp, the fat has rendered into a pool in the pan, and no pink remains.
Tip: Judge by sight, not a thermometer. The thin pieces are too small to probe, and belly needs to cook well past pink to render properly.
5
Drain the excess fat
- Carefully spoon the rendered fat into a heatproof bowl, leaving only about 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) in the pan.
- Leave the browned bits behind for flavor.
- The pork stays on the plate until the noodles go in.
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Ready when: The pan has a thin, even film of fat, with no visible pool.
Tip: Don't pour hot fat down the drain. Let it cool in the bowl and throw it away.
6
Stir-fry carrot and onion
- Add the carrot and onion to the pan.
- Stir-fry constantly for 2 minutes, until the onion turns translucent at the edges and the carrot brightens in color.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent at the edges; carrot is bright orange and slightly bendy.
7
Add the cabbage
- Add the cabbage and toss for 2 to 3 minutes.
- The pile will look huge at first, but it shrinks quickly.
- Cook until the leaves turn bright green, soften at the edges and are still slightly crunchy in the thick parts.
- In a 12-inch skillet, work in two batches: cook half of each vegetable at a time (use half the oil and fat), set the first batch aside, then return everything to the pan in the next step.
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Ready when: Cabbage is bright green, wilted at the edges, and still has some crunch in the ribs.
Tip: If the cabbage won't toss freely, the pan is too full. Cook in batches rather than steaming it.
8
Fry the noodles
- Add the loosened noodles and the cooked pork on top of the vegetables (in a skillet, do this in two batches, using half of each).
- Drizzle over the water (2 tbsp).
- Using chopsticks or a spatula, lift and toss for about 2 minutes, until the noodles are hot and the steam has loosened them and mixed them through the vegetables and pork.
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Ready when: Noodles are steaming hot, separate, and evenly mixed with the vegetables and pork.
Tip: Toss by lifting rather than stirring in circles. This keeps the noodles from breaking.
9
Sauce and toss
- Pour the sauce evenly over the noodles.
- Toss constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until every strand is coated a deep glossy brown and the sauce smells sweet and tangy.
- Taste a noodle.
- If you'd like it saltier, add a splash of soy sauce.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: No pale noodles remain, and the sauce is absorbed with only a thin gloss left in the pan.
Tip: Don't keep cooking after the sauce is absorbed. The sugars burn quickly and make the noodles taste bitter.
10
Plate and top
- Divide the yakisoba among 4 warm plates or bowls (about 325 g each), mounding it high.
- Top each portion with 1½ tsp of pickled ginger, then sprinkle with aonori and bonito flakes if using.
- Serve immediately while the noodles are hot.
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Tip: Bonito flakes will 'dance' from the steam, which is part of the fun.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the heat at medium-high and don't overcrowd the pan. Steam is the enemy of good stir-fried noodles.
Add the sauce only at the end. If it goes in too early, it reduces and sticks, and the noodles turn gummy.
For extra color and sweetness, add a handful of sliced shiitake mushrooms or scallion whites with the onion.
Serve with a fried egg on top, plus a squeeze of Japanese mayonnaise, for a classic pan-style twist.

Make ahead

Mix the sauce up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate it in a sealed jar. Cut the vegetables and pork up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them in separate airtight containers. Cook the noodles right before serving for the best texture.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the cabbage turns watery and the noodles go soft. To reheat, stir-fry in a skillet over medium heat with 1 to 2 tbsp of water for 3 to 4 minutes until steaming hot throughout, or microwave covered for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway.

Substitutions

tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce → Bottled yakisoba sauce. Use about 6 tbsp (90 ml) of bottled yakisoba sauce in place of all five sauce ingredients. Add a little at a time and taste, because brands vary in saltiness.
thinly sliced pork belly → Thinly sliced pork shoulder or bacon. For pork shoulder, use 1 extra tbsp of oil and skip the fat-draining step. For bacon, use unsmoked if you can, and skip the added salt.
fresh pre-steamed yakisoba noodles → Dried ramen noodles or fresh Chinese egg noodles. Boil 3 to 4 portions (about 10 oz / 280 g dried) 1 minute less than the package says, then drain, rinse and toss with ½ tsp of oil before stir-frying.
green cabbage → Napa cabbage or bean sprouts. Napa cooks faster, so add it for only 1 to 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts together with the noodles.