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Gluten-Free Soba Noodles with Pork, Shiitakes, and Bok Choy

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Gluten-Free Soba Noodles with Pork, Shiitakes, and Bok Choy

Ingredients

¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons fish sauce 4 teaspoons sake (Japanese rice wine)1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick strips6 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), sliced crosswise ½ inch wide10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered8 ounces dried soba noodles 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Before You Begin

One large head of bok choy can be substituted for the baby bok choy; add the stems with the mushrooms and the leaves with the cooked pork. We prefer this dish made with sake, but an equal amount of vermouth can be substituted. Many brands of soba noodles also contain wheat; make sure to read the ingredient label and buy noodles made with only buckwheat flour. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the soba noodles. Note that because of the salty ingredients, we don't salt the cooking water for the noodles in this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Whisk tamari, sugar, fish sauce, sake, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in medium bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of mixture into separate bowl and stir in pork; cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. In separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and remaining pork; transfer to bowl.
  3. Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels, add remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add bok choy and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic-ginger mixture, and mash into pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds; stir into vegetables. Stir in cooked pork with any accumulated juices. Stir in tamari mixture and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain noodles and return them to pot. Add pork mixture and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Sprinkle individual portions with scallions and serve.
Gluten-Free Soba Noodles with Pork, Shiitakes, and Bok Choy
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Gluten-Free Soba Noodles with Pork, Shiitakes, and Bok Choy

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), sliced crosswise ½ inch wide
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
8 ounces dried soba noodles
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), sliced crosswise ½ inch wide
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
8 ounces dried soba noodles
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), sliced crosswise ½ inch wide
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
8 ounces dried soba noodles
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Why This Recipe Works

Soba noodles have a strong flavor that demands an equally flavorful combination of sauce and add-ins. Meaty country-style pork ribs are a great starting point. Baby bok choy contributed an appealing crunch, while earthy shiitake mushrooms gave the dish savory depth. For our sauce, we started with gluten-free tamari. Ordinarily, we would reach for oyster sauce for a hit of briny sweetness, but we discovered oyster sauce contains gluten. After some tinkering, we found a combination of brown sugar and fish sauce provided a similar flavor without the gluten. Sesame oil added nutty richness, chili-garlic sauce brought the right amount of heat, and sake contributed clean complexity.

Before You Begin

One large head of bok choy can be substituted for the baby bok choy; add the stems with the mushrooms and the leaves with the cooked pork. We prefer this dish made with sake, but an equal amount of vermouth can be substituted. Many brands of soba noodles also contain wheat; make sure to read the ingredient label and buy noodles made with only buckwheat flour. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the soba noodles. Note that because of the salty ingredients, we don't salt the cooking water for the noodles in this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Whisk tamari, sugar, fish sauce, sake, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in medium bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of mixture into separate bowl and stir in pork; cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. In separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and remaining pork; transfer to bowl.
  3. Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels, add remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add bok choy and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic-ginger mixture, and mash into pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds; stir into vegetables. Stir in cooked pork with any accumulated juices. Stir in tamari mixture and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain noodles and return them to pot. Add pork mixture and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Sprinkle individual portions with scallions and serve.

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