By Tracy Patton stopped by the apartment Wednesday afternoon. She had a small proposal: would I be willing to teach a small after-school cooking-class program at Sapulpa Elementary for the fall semester? The proposal had come out of a small school-board conversation in May. The school had a small budget for after-school enrichment. Tracy had recommended me as the small-Sapulpa-area-cooking-teacher. Brayden is one hundred and forty-six weeks old. Eden is four weeks old.
The pork and vegetable lo mein is one of the recipes I am planning to teach if I accept the program. The recipe is the kind of recipe that a fifth-or-sixth-grader can manage with light supervision — thin egg-noodles, shredded pork (or chicken), shredded vegetables (carrot, snow peas, bell pepper, mushroom), a simple soy-garlic-ginger sauce. The whole dish comes together in about twenty minutes.
The technique I would teach a small ten-year-old is the wok-or-large-skillet-heat. Stir-fry needs high heat to develop the small char-and-flavor that distinguishes it from boiled-vegetable. The lesson on heat-management is the lesson that opens up the entire stir-fry category.
Sunday I made it at home as a small test-bake. Dustin had two helpings. Brayden had a small portion of plain noodles. The recipe will be the first lesson of the program if I accept it.
Aunt Linda’s small twice-weekly Tulsa-visits continue. She arrives. She holds Eden. She plays with Brayden. She drinks the small coffee. We talk for two hours. The small Aunt-Linda-and-Roy small post-retirement rhythm has settled into the small comfortable-pace they have been building since Roy stopped driving.
Dustin’s small Tulsa-shop work continues. The small shop-manager-and-eventually-owner trajectory is in its small mid-phase. Bobby is moving toward the small retirement-handoff. The small five-year-buyout-structure is in its small operational-rhythm.
Pork and Vegetable Lo Mein
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz lo mein noodles (or spaghetti)
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut small
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. Boil noodles according to package directions until just tender. Drain, toss with 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.
- Marinate the pork. In a bowl, combine sliced pork with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, cornstarch, and black pepper. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cook the pork. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add pork in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, then stir-fry until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Stir-fry the vegetables. In the same skillet over high heat, add garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and carrots; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add cabbage and cook another 2 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Bring it together. Return pork to the skillet. Add cooked noodles and pour sauce over everything. Toss with tongs until fully combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat, top with sliced green onions, and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 890mg