Pork Yakisoba
This is a simple pork yakisoba with cabbage, onion and bean sprouts using a homemade Yakisoba sauce. It makes a filling one-dish meal with noodles, meat and veggies in one plate. Yakisoba (焼きそば) means Japanese-style fried noodles. After testing & tweaking the recipe, this is one Yakisoba that is full-flavoured just like those I usually takeaway from the Japanese supermarkets. I think homemade yakisoba is slightly healthier due to the healthier oil (I used olive oil) & generous veggies. I can’t wait to cook different versions of Yakisoba in future with this base recipe.
See Also:
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS (PORK YAKISOBA)
1. Yakisoba Noodles
I bought fresh yakisoba noodles from Donki SG. This is so far the cheapest yakisoba noodles I am able to find. It bought 3 packets for about $3.90. It comes with 3 sachets of seasoning powder, but I don’t use them as the taste is not to my liking. You can buy fresh or dried yakisoba noodles from the Japanese cooking aisles in supermarkets.
2. Japanese Worcestershire Sauce
I prefer to make my own yakisoba sauce because I can adjust the flavour to my liking. The most important ingredient for making the sauce is Japanese Worcestershire sauce. I bought my bottle or worcestershire sauce (pictured above) from Daiso. After buying it, I read that there is the more famous “Bull Dog” brand but oh well, I already bought mine. I am satisfied with the results of the one I bought, but I may try out the more famous brand when I finished my current bottle.
3. Shabu Shabu (Thinly Sliced) Pork Belly
I used shabu shabu pork belly which is thin meat slices for hotpot. They cook really fast. Just cut them to short sections before stir-frying.
STEP-BY-STEP (PORK YAKISOBA)
Marinate shabu shabu pork slices in sake & a bit of light soy sauce and/or salt & pepper. This will remove any strong smell from the pork.
Prepare yakisoba noodles by heating the block of noodles in the microwave oven. This will help the noodles loosen easily without breaking during stir-frying.
Prepare yakisoba sauce by combining Japanese worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce & light soy sauce. Stir to mix well.
START COOKING:
Add pork with a bit of oil in pan. Fry until cooked & set aside on a plate.
Add cabbage, carrot, onion, chicken stock (or water) and salt & pepper. Pan fry until the cabbage starts to soften, then add bean sprouts.
If your cabbage remains raw, add a small splash of water, cover with lid to steam for 1 minute.
Add prepared noodles. Add a bit of sake or water over the noodles, then loosen them with chopsticks or spatula.
Return cooked pork back to the pan. Pour the prepared Yakisoba sauce over the contents (pictured above) and pan fry briskly in high heat until everything is well combined.
Garnish with Japanese red pickled ginger, bonito flakes and dried seaweed flakes and it’s done!
Pork Yakisoba Recipe
You can whip up different versions of yakisoba by using a different meat (such as chicken or seafood) & seasonal vegetables with this base recipe.
You can substitute the homemade yakisoba sauce with a bottle of instant store-bought yakisoba sauce, though I think it’s really fun & easy to make your own sauce.
Check out the ingredients and step-by-step photos on the previous page.
Ingredients:
- 50g shabu shabu (thinly sliced) pork belly cut to uniform short sections
- 1 packet (about 150g) fresh yakisoba noodles
- 1 tsp + 1/2 tbsp oil divided
- 1/4 onion cut to wedges
- 50g cabbage leaves cut to large chunks
- 5 slices thinly sliced carrot cut to long thin strips
- 1 tbsp chicken stock (or water)
- small handful bean sprouts
- 1 tsp sake (or water) for sprinkling on the noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
(A) Marinade for Pork
- 1 tsp sake
- 1/2 tsp light soy sauce or a small dash of salt & pepper
(B) Sauce (Mix well)
- 1 Tbsp Japanese Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Suggested Garnishes
- beni shoga (pickled red ginger)
- aonori (Japanese dried laver flakes)
- bonito flakes
Directions:
- Marinade pork slices in (A) for at least 5 minutes.
- Warm up the noodles in the microwave for about 45 seconds. This will make the noodles separate easily without breaking during stir-frying. You may also heat the packet (if heat-safe) in a bowl of hot water or steam the noodles.
- Pan fry pork. Heat 1 tsp oil in a wokpan. Add marinated pork slices. Stir fry until the pork is no longer pink, and set aside on a plate.
- Cook veggies. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil, onion, cabbage, carrot, salt & pepper and stock (or water). Stir fry until the cabbage starts to soften, then add the bean sprouts and stir fry quickly. If the cabbage remains raw, you can add a small splash of water, cover the pan with lid and let the vegetables steam for about one minute.
- Make the fried noodles. Push the cooked vegetables to the side of the pan. Add prepared noodles, sprinkling sake or water over the noodles. Return the cooked pork back to the pan. Pour the yakisoba sauce (A) evenly over the contents. Stir fry briskly in high heat so that everything is well coated in the sauce.
- To serve, plate the noodles and garnish with pickled red ginger, seaweed flakes & bonito flakes.