Ingredients
For the sauce:
¼ cup gochujang
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce or hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar or sugar
Juice of 1 lime
For the noodles:
About 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such peanut or grapeseed
1 pound ground pork, spicy sausage, ground turkey or one 12-ounce package plant-based meat substitute
Salt and white pepper
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and scrape out seeds, thinly slice or chop
½ pound Savoy cabbage or white cabbage, cored and shredded or 3 to 4 baby bok choy, thinly sliced across
1 leek, split, washed and thinly sliced or chopped
2 Fresno chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
1 pound Korean noodles, spaghetti or packaged fresh ramen OR 12 ounces rice noodles
4 eggs (optional)
4 pats soft butter, for eggs (optional)
Korean chili flake or chili garlic sauce, to serve
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
Serves: 4
For the sauce, whisk up and set aside.
For the noodles, in a very large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 1 turn of the pan, and brown and crumble protein of choice, season with salt and white pepper (unless you’re using spicy sausage). Remove from pan and set aside. Return pan with remaining 2 tablespoons oil to medium-high heat and add zucchini first and stir 2 minutes, add cabbage or bok choy, leek, chilies, ginger and garlic, then toss 2 minutes more. Add sauce and browned protein and combine, reduce heat to lowest setting or remove from heat.
Cook noodles to package directions 4 to 6 minutes.
While noodles cook, if desired, also cook eggs over medium heat in butter and cover pan with lid to cook yolk soft to hard. Top with chili flake or chili-garlic sauce.
Toss noodles with protein, veg and sauce and fill bowls, top with sesame, if using, and egg and pass chili flakes or sauce.