Weeknight Pork & Cabbage Yakisoba

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

Springy noodles tangled with sweet-savoury sauce, quick-fried pork belly and heaps of cabbage — a Japanese street-food classic that's on the table faster than takeaway. Finish with aonori and a squiggle of Kewpie mayo for the full festival-stall effect.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 26.0g protein · 82.0g carbs · 31.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 packs (approx. 300g) fresh yakisoba or ramen-style noodles
• 150g pork belly slices or pork loin, cut into thin strips
• 200g white cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water, plus a splash for steaming
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• To serve: Kewpie mayonnaise, aonori (seaweed flakes), beni shoga (pickled red ginger), bonito flakes

Method

1. Whisk the Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Loosen the noodles: either rinse briefly under warm water or microwave the packs for 30 seconds, then separate with your fingers so they don't clump in the pan.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry 2-3 minutes until browned and the fat is rendered.
4. Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry 2 minutes, then the cabbage and cook another 2 minutes until just wilted but still crunchy.
5. Push the vegetables to one side, add the noodles with a splash of water, and let them steam for 30 seconds before tossing everything together.
6. Pour the sauce over and toss hard for 1-2 minutes until every strand is glossy and a few noodles are catching and caramelising on the pan.
7. Stir through the spring onions, divide between two bowls, then top with a zigzag of Kewpie mayo, a shower of aonori, bonito flakes and a pinch of beni shoga. Eat immediately.