CKC: Spicy Pork and Turnip Noodle Bowls
I really wish I was one of those people who can open their fridge or pantry and compose a three course meal with all the drippings and sauces. My oldest sister is like this. She loves to play and is an artist so it makes sense her skills translate in the kitchen. Leave her in the kitchen alone for less than an hour and you’ll get a home flung gluten free pizza topped with a five herbed heirloom tomato sauce, foraged chanterelle mushrooms and truffles with home turned mozzarella. (PS somehow the crust doesn’t taste gluten free, she is magical.) Meals at the Hoelzer’s are decadent to say the least.
I, on the other hand, lack the food genius gene. So I stick to what I know, “Hey google what can I make with turnips and ground pork? Soup? Cool.”
Google did not fail me this time. The Clements household hit round two of C*vid in July and I was wanting all the comfort stews. Which side bar, is a really weird thing to want in the middle of July. It’s supposed to be the season of brats and burgers and ribs on the grill. But alas, between having the plague and our turnip surplus fresh from the garden, soup season it was. Which isn’t the worst because I have come to love a good stew recipe.
Before I dive into it all, I’m dropping the recipe button here so you don’t have to scroll all the way to the bottom.
I know soup is not sexy. It’s not. It does not photograph well. It does not have cool accessories. (Unless we are talking oyster crackers with a chowder. I kid.) Soup is economically maybe even fiscally friendly. Again, not sexy. But it’s wholesome and humble and uses the veggies and proteins needing a home before their impending expiration dates. All this to say, I have been steady with soup for a couple years and after playing around with different bone broth recipes I have learned a few things.
Your broth base ingredients matter
Heat: go low
Time: go slow
(If soup wasn’t a metaphor for dating then I don’t know what is.)
Your base ingredients matter: fresh ginger root versus powder, raw or roasted garlic cloves, whole anise stars, bay leaves, fresh versus dried thyme… it all matters. This specific recipe’s secret weapon is two-fold: well prepared and seasoned pork and beautifully reduced broth for flavor.
Heat and Time: The recipe calls for the pork to come to room temperature (no way to speed this process) before cooking, this allows for even cooking and less browning time so the meat remains moist. WHO KNEW… not me!? Once your pork is cooked, drop the heat to a low simmer and let the broth, liquid aminos and rice vinegar become friendly.
While the broth and meat are leveling up their umami goodness, you want to noodle your turnips and julienne the carrots. Our spiralizer is going on it’s sixth year and is coming to the end of it’s life. Hudson helped me with the noodles and the kid and I got to practice our patience, together. It was a bonding moment. Thanks spiralizer, I guess. Last step is to give some cabbage a rough chop and then add it all to your now pork-tastic broth.
You can add some seven-minute eggs (secret to the best jammy yoke), chopped scallions, cilantro or/and some lime to be extra. I highly recommend saving this recipe and joining the soup train, promise it won’t disappoint.
