Homemade stock’s rich flavor boosts pork chow mein recipe

Chow mein is a dish of infinite variations. The only essential ingredient is the noodles; beyond that, anything goes: sliced meat (any type), sliced vegetables (any type) and a pour-over of sauce (soy sauce and anything else).

Toyomi Shoji, by way of daughter Joyce Shoji, wanted something somewhat specific: pork chow mein that started with pork bones simmered into a stock. This is a recipe request after my own heart, as I am a big proponent of homemade stock. I never let bones go to waste.

To start, you need a cut of pork with a bone in it. If you can use the extra meat, a pork roast would work. This recipe is scaled to make use of everything in one dish, so I’m suggesting bone-in pork chops. Easy to find and you can buy just enough for the chow mein.

The bones go into the stock pot, the meat is sliced and lightly marinated.

I like a colorful mixture of vegetables that includes lots of shiitake mushrooms, but really any combo will work. My only rule is the vegetables should be twice the volume of the meat.

For the gravy, I’m vamping on the technique from last week’s column on gluten-free gravy using mochiko. First cook the noodles, pork and veggies; then remove them from the pan and build a sauce using all that nice pork stock.

Pork Chow Mein

• 2 pounds bone-in pork chops
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 ounces fresh chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/2 cup bias-cut green beans
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water until soft, stems removed and caps sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon mochiko (sweet rice flour)
• Chopped cilantro and green onions, for garnish

Cut bones from pork chops. Thinly slice meat (you should have about 1 pound), then toss with minced ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Cover and refrigerate while stock is cooking.

Place bones in pot with water to cover (at least 2 cups) and sliced ginger. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 90 minutes to 2 hours, until stock is richly flavored and any meat has fallen off the bones (or use a slow cooker set on low overnight). Strain; let stock settle in a measuring cup until fat rises to a layer on the top (or refrigerate stock until fat congeals at the top).

Remove fat from stock (you should have 1 to 2 tablespoons); set aside. Pour 2 cups stock in a small pot and heat to simmer. Save any leftover stock for another use.

Heat oil in skillet or wok over medium-high until shimmering. Add noodles and toss until lightly browned. Remove to a serving platter.

Add sliced pork to skillet with 2 tablespoons warm pork stock. Stir-fry until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to platter over noodles.

Add onions to skillet with a tablespoon of pork stock. Stir-fry until softened. Add carrots and more stock; stir-fry 30 seconds. Repeat with green beans. Add mushrooms, bean sprouts and more stock; stir-fry until bean sprouts begin to soften. Add contents of skillet to platter over pork.

Reduce heat to medium. Add reserved fat to skillet, then mochiko. Whisk to make a paste, scraping up any browned bits in pan. Slowly add remaining stock, whisking constantly as gravy simmers and thickens, to keep it smooth. You may not need all the stock; stop when consistency is that of a light gravy. Pour over vegetables in platter, then toss everything together. Top with cilantro and green onion. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 1 tablespoon fat and using full 2 cups stock): 680 calories, 35 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 37 g protein

Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.