Spicy Pork and Kimchi Noodles with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

We’ve been eating a TON of noodles in my house since lockdown, and for the obvious reasons. Comforting, kid friendly, and dinner comes together in no time at all. These spicy pork and kimchi noodles with crispy Brussels sprouts are no different, and you might be thinking, spicy noodles and kimchi are not exactly kid friendly. And you’re right. My daughter screams “SPICY!!!!!!!!” at the top of her lungs anytime something even mildly spicy hits her tongue, so it’s in my best interest to find a way to please all spice tolerances in my house if I don’t want to be wearing hearing aids by the time I’m 40.

My trick to taming the fire is to add the kimchi at the very end, which allows me to take a serving out of the pan for my daughter before I kick up the heat. It’s a win win for everyone, and I get to keep my hearing until at least the end of dinner.

Chopstyx

Spicy Pork and Kimchi Noodles with Crispy Brussels sprouts

Spicy Pork and Kimchi Noodles with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Brussels sprouts

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp + 1 pinch kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ginger, grated

3 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sambal olek

1/4 C lime juice

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 lb ground pork

pepper

1 small onion, sliced thinly

3 C green cabbage, sliced thinly

12 oz rice noodles

1/2 kimchi

1-2 scallions, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Trim the stems off the Brussels sprouts and carefully remove each leaf. Continue trimming the stems the closer you get to the center of the sprout to make removal easier. Once all the leaves have been removed place them on a large baking sheet. Season with olive oil and salt, tossing to make sure each leaf is coated in oil. Spread out the Brussels sprout leaves evenly and place in the oven to bake. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are brown and extremely crispy.

While the sprouts are cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl combine the minced garlic, ginger, fish sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sambal olek, lime juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a large frying pan heat canola oil over medium-medium high heat. Add pork, and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and 3 tsp of the sauce. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the meat is crispy and brown. Remove the pork from the pan with a slotted spoon leaving the grease dripping in the pan.

Add the sliced cabbage and onions to the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until until the onions are translucent and cabbage has wilted, approximately 7-12 minutes.

While the cabbage and onions are cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles according the the package directions. Drain and set aside.

When the cabbage and onions are cooked through, add the pork and noodles into the hot pan. Pour the sauce over everything and mix until everything is completely coated in the sauce. If you have kids, this is where I take some of the noodles out for serving to keep the dish mild and kid friendly. If you don’t have little ones, add the kimchi in and give everything a final mix.

Serve up the noodles and top with a generous handful of crispy Brussels sprouts and some sliced scallions.