These noodles are legit DELICIOUS. I mean, so good you won't want to share. They're dangerously yummy. The original recipe I tried to follow is by Chef Grant Sato, featured in one of our local KTA coupon books; yes, they have some seriously good and easy recipes, check it out next time!
I was all fired up to make the proper Mapo Udon recipe by Chef Sato, however, I could not get all the right ingredients. Some of the ingredients it called for, I could not find preservative free, or artificial ingredient free versions...so I used what I did have, and it turned out pretty amazing. This is my adjusted version of the recipe below.
*Quick tip, I know it looks like A LOT of sauce ingredients, sometimese what I like to do before I start a recipe like this, is pull out all the sauces, mix them together as needed in a small bowl, then set it aside, that way I'm not trying to measure everything out while cooking.
Ingredients:
2 - 5oz packs of Udon Noodles or Chowfun Noodles
2 Tbsp Safflower Oil
1 lb ground pork
6 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 Tsp ginger, minced
1 Cup chicken stock or bone broth
1 Tbsp Gochujang Paste (I like "Mother-in-Law's" brand)
1 Tbsp Black Bean Garlic Sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tsp White Miso Paste
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 Tbsp Tsuyu Sauce
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Corn Starch or Potato Starch
1 Tbsp Cold Water
1 Package Soft or Silken Tofu (Mori-nu brand), cubed
1/2 Cup Green Onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Mix sauce ingredients: Gochujang, Black Bean Garlic Sauce, Mirin, Miso, Oyster Sauce, Tsuyu, and Sesame Oil in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Boil water in a large pot over high heat. Add in the udon noodles and cook for 3 min. Once cooked, drain in a colander and transfer to an ice bath for 30 sec. Drain noodles again from any water and place in a serving bowl.
3. Heat oil in a medium sized deep pan over medium-high heat, add in pork, ginger and garlic. Sautee for 2-3 min or until pork begins to brown, then add in the stock to deglaze the pan.
4. Add in pre-mixed sauce ingredients, stir around until everything is evenly coated, and simmer for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
5. Combine cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry, then add this to the pork mixture that is cooking, this should begin to thicken the liquid in the pot, be sure to stir everything around.
6. Add in the tofu and green onion and stir, cooking for just 1 more minute or until all combined.
7. Remove pan from the heat and transfer pork/tofu mixture from the pan onto the top of the udon noodles and give it a quick stir, then ENJOY!!
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