I’ve got a thing for noodles, and when they’re crispy and golden and topped with rich, sticky pork belly? Total heaven. This dish is one of those slow-cooked, big-reward kind of meals. It takes a little time, but oh my word, the flavors you get from that simmered sauce alone are magic.
The pork belly turns buttery soft after an hour of gentle cooking, soaking up all the soy, hoisin, and star anise goodness. And then there’s the noodle part… crispy fried egg noodles that crunch with every bite and soak up just enough sauce to keep things interesting. I love serving this with fluffy steamed buns and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, it’s like your favorite noodle bowl leveled up for a cozy weekend dinner.
So, if you’re in the mood for something special (and wildly satisfying), this is the recipe to try. You’ve got to add the love with this one, and trust me, your kitchen will smell amazing.
Pork Belly Crispy Fried Noodles
Equipment
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 lb center cut pork belly around 1.5 inch thickness (about 900g)
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry 60ml
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1- inch piece of ginger peeled and cut into three
- 1 whole dried arbol chili
- 2 star anise pods
- 3 cups water 720ml
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the noodles:
- 6 oz thin egg noodles about 170g
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 1.5 inches / 4cm depth in the pan)
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into inch wide strips then cut each strip into two inch pieces
- In a bowl combine the water, wine, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin and oyster sauce. Mix and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wide bottomed skillet or dutch oven and cook the pork belly until golden on all sides. This will take around 20 minutes.
- Add the dried chili, star anise, ginger and water mixture to the pot with the browned pork belly. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook with a continuous simmer stirring occasionally for approximately one hour until the pork belly is tender.
- Remove cooked pork belly from the liquid and place into a bowl and set aside.
- Allow the liquid to sit and settle for a few minutes then remove and settled fats and solids.
- Place the remaining liquid back on the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes until it reduces to around one cup.
- Stir the pork belly back into the reduced sauce and keep warm.
- Meanwhile make the crispy noodles. Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the noodles for a couple of minutes. Whilst they are boiling, heat vegetable oil in the base of a wide bottomed pan. You want around one and a half inches of oil in the base.
- Remove the noodles from the boiling water and shake off any excess water then very carefully add them into the hot oil. Do this very gently and the oil will rise and spit so add the noodles a little at a time.
- Spread the noodles into an even layer in the pan and cook until golden and crispy which should take around 4-5 minutes.
- Remove and place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
- Transfer to a plate and top with the pork belly.
- Serve with steamed buns and some chopped fresh cilantro
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @HomeCookingWithJulieNeville on Instagram and hashtag it #CookingLikeJulie.
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