Pork and Noodle Stir Fry in a Savory Peanut Sauce

Asian cuisines inspire me. They always have and they always will. I think it’s important to start this blog post by stating that, because this dish is most definitely inspired by Asian cuisines and I recognize that I am not of Asian descent. I am merely inspired by the flavors and ingredients that Asia has to offer. When I say this, I don’t mean I just like to eat Asian food (of all kinds.) I truly mean it. I studied culture and cuisine in Hong Kong during my time at NYU and I’ve always had an interest in this arena. If I could go back to college, I would somehow convince my professor to major in the dry and wet markets in China, as they are full of some of the most interesting food items I’ve ever seen.

That being said, this stir fry dish is definitely my Americanized spin on a fusion of three cuisines: Indonesian, Thai and Chinese. Did you know that peanut sauce actually originated in Indonesia? It’s now used all over the world, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand, plus other parts of Southeast Asia, where it’s common to use peanuts in savory styles of cooking. I’m sure you’ve seen chicken satay (chicken skewers with a sweet and salty peanut sauce) on Asian fusion, Indonesian or Thai restaurant menus before. So with this recipe, I am taking inspiration from this peanut sauce and giving it some sriracha spice (which you can skip.) Then, I’m pairing it with some pork, veggies and egg noodles and stir frying it all together. You can use any kind of noodle here and you can also skip the meat and use tofu or tempeh instead.

Let’s do this! Full video tutorial is below if you want to watch as you cook.