Udon Noodles with Spicy Minced Pork

There are few things I love more than noodles, especially spicy noodles. These noodles are made from ingredients you can always keep in your pantry and fridge for a quickly weeknight dinner, or a potluck crowd pleaser. The cucumbers and water chestnuts add a crunch and help cut through the spice in case you went a little too heavy with the chili oil.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 tsp of ginger
• 1/3 pound of pork
• 1 tbsp spicy bean paste
• 1 tbsp chili oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 packets of udon noodles
• 2 water chestnuts (optional)
• cucumber (optional)

Directions

1. Brown garlic in 1/2 tbsp of oil, toss in pork and ginger and allow it brown. Mince the pork with your spatula.
2. As it starts to brown, mix in the wet sauces – spicy bean paste, chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil – along with chopped water chestnuts.
3. Add in udon noodles and let it cook, cover with lid. The noodles will start to break apart on their own as they get hot. When they break down, mix it in the sauce thoroughly.
4. Toss with greens onions and serve with sliced cucumbers.