Pork, Shitake, and Scallion Soba Noodles with Nanami Togarashi

Earthy, salty, and sweet ingredients balance the slightly smokey flavor of light buckwheat soba noodles. The textures have a bit of crunch from the bean sprouts and tender chewiness in the noodles, shikates, and pork. The flavors are enhanced with the final sprinkle of Nanami Togarashi chili pepper or your favorite chili oil.

I found a version of this recipe in an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook at the library and have made it over the years as pure comfort food.

The recipe serves 4 lighter eaters or 2 big eaters.

Gather the ingredients below and start cooking. This recipe serves 2-4 for a light or hardy meal.

• 10 ounces soba noodles

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin thinly sliced crosswise

• 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms cut into 3/4-inch slices

• 6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

• 1/4 cup low salt soy sauce

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

• 3 cups mung bean sprouts

• kosher salt

• 6 scallions

• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves for serving

• Nanami Togarashi chili pepper mix for serving

Cook the soba noodles until al dente (unit they are still a little chewy, by removing from heat 30-60 seconds early). Immediately rinse with cold water and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat until just smoking. All the ingredients will eventually need to fit in the pan, so adjust the pan size accordingly. Add the pork in a single layer and fry on one side for 1 minute before turning. Stir and continue cooking until the pork is browned around the edges and slightly pink in the center, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the wok or fry pan and heat over medium high heat until just smoking. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until browned, about 4 minutes. Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan, add the garlic and ginger and stir constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the mixture into the mushrooms. Add the bean sprouts, soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, and pork. Cook until the pork is just heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat while you rinse and drain the soba noodle so they are loose rather than stuck together.

Return the pan to medium/high heat. Add the drained soba noodles and scallions to the pan and stir to coat the soba. Remove from the heat and distribute noodles to serving bowls with mushrooms and pork evenly distributed. Sprinkle with Nanami Togarashi or chili oil and cilantro. Serve immediately with extra chili and cilantro.

Enjoy!