½cupleekswhite and light green parts quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2clovesgarlicminced
1tbspfresh gingergrated
2tbsp soy sauce
½tspsesame oil
½tspground white pepper
1lbground pork
1tbspneutral oilpeanut, vegetable, canola, etc.
4-6cupscabbagechopped into bite sized pieces
2scallionssliced
toasted sesame seeds
Dumpling Sauce
1tspchili oil
½tspsesame oil
1tbspChinkiang vinegar
2tbspsoy sauce
Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together leeks, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Add the pork and mix until just combined without overworking. I like to use my hands for this because it's quicker, but a wooden spoon or spatula will also work. Let the pork marinate for about 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until just tender with some chew/bounce in texture. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the chili oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Place a wok or high-sided skillet over high heat. Once the wok or pan is hot, add the oil. Then add the marinated pork. Stir-fry until the pork starts to brown a bit and is mostly cooked through.
Add the cabbage to the wok and stir fry until the cabbage has wilted, cooked through, and all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
Add the cooked noodles and toss with the pork and cabbage.
Serve noodles with a sprinkle of scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with dumpling sauce.
Notes
Use a moderately thick, chewy Asian-style wheat noodle here. Lo mien noodles are probably the easiest to find in any grocery store.
We have a large recipe of Adam Liaw's chili oil on hand for the dumpling sauce, but if you don't want to make your own (though, it's very worth it to have on hand for all sorts of dishes), choose a chili oil that contains flakes of chili like this one.
I bought a bottle of Chinkiang vinegar because it seemed to be important for dumpling sauce and other Chinese recipes. In my research, it seems like you *could* substitute balsamic vinegar here, but I think it's worth trying to be authentic and vinegar lasts forever.
A note about cabbage: I used a variety called Taiwan cabbage I found at my local produce market. I really like this variety because it's a little lighter, crisper, and more tender than a generic head of green cabbage. I think savoy or Napa cabbage would be similar in texture if you can't find Taiwan cabbage. But honestly, any green cabbage will likely do the trick. (Dad, I think bok choy would work great here!)