I have made this dish so many times that I have now no idea where
I got this recipe. It's a perennial favorite at work and it's a very versatile dish. You can
substitute almost any ingredient and basically make do with what you have.
Ingredients
L-R: back - top row - broth; middle row: sotanghon, atsuete, lime, onions; bottom row: carrots, pork, garlic, string beans
Oil
2 pork chop, cut julienne style (shrimp, chicken, beef or combination can substitute; for
vegetarian, omit meat altogether)
Chicken or beef stock (or broth)
Salt
Calamansi juice (or lemon or lime juice)
Onion - sliced
Garlic - sliced or pounded Atsuete (annatto)
powder dissolved in water (optional). Paprika can substitute by the way. If you have atsuete seeds,
you need to pound/grind them, then soak the granules in water. This is used for coloring and it also
imparts a little bit of flavor.
carrots - cut julienne style or crosswise
greens (for this particular dish, I used green beans, but you can use any - cabbage is perfect for
this)
You can also add mushrooms (button or straw), bamboo shoots, water chestnut, etc.
Ground white pepper
Soy Sauce
Hard boiled eggs
Green onions if you have
Soak
sotanghon noodle in chicken stock to absorb liquid. I do this first so the noodles are easy
to cut. Once the noodles are thoroughly soaked, you need to cut them into manageable length.
Use kitchen scissors which you really have to have in your kitchen.
Heat oil in a kawali (wok) and deep fry your garlic pieces until they are golden brown and
crisp. This is very
hard to do, I still haven't mastered this step - mine usually turn out burnt but crisp. Remove
garlic pieces from the pan and set aside. You need this for your garnish later on.
Add sliced onion to the hot oil. Stir until the slices become transparent. Add the meat,
constantly stirring and mixing them until they become brown. Add carrots, again constantly
mixing them. It
is imperative to know here that you have a very hot wok - have your flame, burner, fire, whatever,
setting on high. Add a little bit of chicken stock just enough to cover the meat and carrots.
Adjust seasoning - pinch of salt, pinch of ground white pepper, a tablespoon of soy sauce. Add
the atsuete coloring. Simmer the conconction for about 3-4 minutes.
Add the sotanghon noodles and mix until they absorb the liquid and the color. Add your greens
the last.
That's it. You can then dish the noodles out to a serving dish, garnish with your crisp garlic,
green onions, sliced hard boiled egg
or crumbled egg yolk, lemon slices or wedges, parsley, cilantro ... whatever.
Serve with mixed soy sauce and lime/lemon juice on the side.
