
Ground Pork Ramen
Ground Pork Ramen requires roughly 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Servings: 4
 - Prep:
 - Cook:
 
Ingredients:
- 3 (3-oz packs) ramen (discard seasoning packet)
 - 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
 - 1 lb ground pork
 - 4 stalks celery, chopped (or any other firm vegetable you like)
 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
 - 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
 - 3 Tbsp soy sauce
 - Hot sauce or chili paste to taste
 - 1 c chopped cilantro
 - Lime wedges
 
Instructions:
- While you’re chopping your veggies and collecting the other ingredients, cook ramen noodles (without using the seasoning packet). Before you drain them, scoop out about half a cup of the water and set aside. This liquid will become part of the sauce.
 - Drain the noodles and rinse in cold water, so they’ll stop cooking. Cooked ramen should be springy but not spongy.
 - Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat in a sauté pan and brown the ground pork. Use a wooden spoon to break apart any clumps. Do not season the meat with salt and pepper.
 - Cook the pork until it’s browned or even let it cook until it’s crisp, your preference.
 - After about 8 minutes, the pork should have nicely browned and can be removed from the pan.
 - Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same pan and sauté the celery and/or any other vegetable you’re using for about two minutes.
 - Add garlic for another 30 seconds.
 - Add reserved pasta water to the pan and stir in three tablespoons of oyster and soy sauce each.
 - Use a wooden spoon to scrape off the burnt pork bits (the best stuff) from the bottom of the pan.
 - Add the pork back into the pan and then add the noodles.
 - Finally, add some heat like hot sauce, chili paste, sriracha, hot pepper flakes, etc, and mix everything well.
 - Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, garnish with lime wedges, and serve. I love to squeeze some lime juice over everything. It gives the dish a light, refreshing touch that mingles nicely with the spiciness and the umami flavor provided by the oyster and soy sauces.
 


