MEAT, NOODLES, SECOND COURSE

VERMICELLI STIR FRY WITH MINCED PORK: ANTS CLIMBING A TREE

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Vermicelli stir-fry with minced pork was originally from Sichuan province. It has gained its fame all over China, these days even internationally, due to its easy preparation and flavorful taste. In China it has impressed the eaters with its picturesque but somehow unrelated name: 蚂蚁上树 (ants climbing a tree).

FORMICHE SCALANO L’ALBERO

THE ANTS AND THE TREE

In its Chinese name the "ants" refers to the cooked minced pork, while the "tree" is the vermicelli of soy. I think this name "unrelated" because the ingredients of this dish have nothing to do with neither the ants nor the tree. But obviously the first group of eater named it this way in order to describe the figure of the dish (see Baidu). So don't be scared away if you see this name on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The dish is actually way more appetizing than the name sounds!

INGREDIENTS

It is commonly agreed to use minced pork in traditional recipe. But for a home meal, you can replace pork with other minced meat, such as beef.

I've read that the original version of this dish used sweet potato vermicelli. But these days it is quite common to substitute it with vermicelli of soy, since it is easier to find and does the same job.

Another key ingredient is the bean paste, aka the dish's main source of flavor. Most Sichuan cuisine uses Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱), a fermented broad-bean and chili pepper sauce. However, considering lots of my readers prefers non-spicy (or mild spicy) dishes, I am using the soybean paste in this recipe.

Un'altro ingrediente chiave è la salsa di fagioli, la maggiore fonte di gusto del piatto.

Check my post of Mapo Tofu for more information and the selection on bean paste used in Sichuan cuisine.

VERMICELLI STIR FRY WITH MINCED PORK 蚂蚁上树

Recipe by Sasha WangCourse: SECOND COURSECuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Low
Servings

2

persons
Preparation

10

minutes
Cooking

15

minutes
Total Time

25

minutes

Vermicelli stir-fry with minced pork was originally from Sichuan province. It has gained its fame due to its easy preparation and flavorful taste. In China it has impressed the eaters with its picturesque but somehow unrelated name: 蚂蚁上树 (ants climbing a tree).

INGREDIENTS

  • Vermicelli of soy: 100g

  • Garlic: 2 cloves

  • Soy bean paste: 2 tbsp

  • Sunflower oil

  • Carne & Condimenti
  • Minced pork: 80g

  • Soy sauce: 2 tbsp

  • Dark soy sauce: 0.5 tbsp

  • Oyster sauce: 1 tbsp

  • Sichuan pepper powder: 1 tsp

  • Sesame oil: 2 tbsp

Preparation

  • Soak the vermicelli in cold water for 30 minutes until they become soft.Metti gli spaghetti di soia in ammollo in acqua fredda per circa 30 minuti fino che non diventano morbidi.
  • Marinate the minced pork with the seasonings listed above for 20 minutes.
  • Heat up a wok with some sunflower oil. Chop the garlic into small pieces and stir-fry it for 20 seconds.
  • Add the minced pork into the wok. Stir-fry it until the color of the meat turns white.
  • Add in the soy bean paste. Keep stir-frying and meanwhile mix the sauce evenly with the meat.
  • Add water into the wok to cover up the meat. To reduce waste, you can take the water used for soaking the vermicelli in step 1.
  • When the water starts to boil, add in the vermicelli.
  • Keep simmering all the ingredients. Meanwhile stir the vermicelli in order to mix it with the meat, as well as prevent it from sticking onto the wok.
  • Gradually the vermicelli shall absorb all the liquid and become soft and transparent.come preparare gli spaghetti di soia con carne
  • Taste to see if it is salty enough. Add in some soy sauce or salt to adjust if needed.
  • Sprinkle some chopped chives and chili flakes (optional). And enjoy it!spaghetti di soia saltati con carne pronto per mangiare

Would you prefer to eat this dish with some rice? Or as a course itself? I like the latter way. And every time I found it so hard to put my chopsticks down as long as there is still vermicelli inside the plate. 😝🍝

Preferisci mangiarlo con un pò di riso? O come te l'ho presentato come unico piatto? A me piace mangiarlo da solo. E ogni volta non riesco a posare le bacchette fino a che vedo spaghetti nel piatto. 😝🍝
spaghetti di soia saltati con carne

When you prepare this dish, don't forget to SHARE IT on your social media using hashtag #cinaintavola and TAG ME @cinaintavola. FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube to stay in touch!

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5 Comments

  1. li proverò presto, mi piace la cucina cinese

     
  2. Dove trovo la salsa di fagioli di soia?

     
  3. Fabrizio Liguori

    Grazie.

     

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