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Ham hock with yellow bean sauce chow mein

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Ham hock with yellow bean sauce chow mein

A rich, sticky ham hock in fragrant Chinese five-spice sauce, piled over crisp golden chow mein noodles with tender veg and a kick of chilli. Comfort food with a bold twist.

Prep: less than 30 mins
Cook: 1 to 2 hours
Serves: Serves 4
Dietary: Dairy-free
Saturday Kitchen Chef photoBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

This ham hock with yellow bean sauce chow mein is a hearty, satisfying dish with a moderate Nutri-Score of C. It’s rich in protein from the ham hock and noodles, and the veg add fibre and vitamins. Best enjoyed as part of a balanced week.
Typical values per serving (approx): Calories: 580 kcal | Fat: 22g (saturates 7g) | Carbohydrates: 60g (sugars 12g) | Fibre: 5g | Protein: 34g

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 800g ham hock
  • ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 2cm ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks
  • ½ leek
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 500ml chicken or pork stock
  • 2 tsp cornflour

For the yellow bean sauce

  • 3 tbsp black rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp yellow bean sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

For the chow mein

  • 300g dried egg noodles
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
  • ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
  • 6 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 2 red chillies, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 100g bean sprouts
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tbsp ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

  1. Start the ham hock Pat the ham hock dry with kitchen paper, then rub all over with the Chinese five-spice and white pepper. This gives it a warm, aromatic crust and helps the flavour sink in as it cooks.
  2. Brown the ham hock Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the ham hock and sear it all over until nicely browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. Don’t rush this – a good sear builds deep flavour in the sauce.
  3. Build the braising liquid Toss in the onion, ginger, garlic, celery, leek, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon stick. Stir for a minute so the aromatics soften and smell fragrant. Pour in the stock and 500ml water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 1½ hours, or until the meat pulls away easily from the bone.
  4. Make the yellow bean sauce While the ham hock simmers, mix the black rice vinegar, caster sugar, yellow bean sauce, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Set this aside – it’ll go into the veg later.
  5. Finish the ham hock sauce Remove the ham hock and set it aside to cool slightly. Strain the cooking liquid into a jug, then return the veg to the pot. Stir in the yellow bean sauce mix and bring to a gentle bubble. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water, then stir it into the sauce to thicken. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until glossy and clinging to the veg. Taste and adjust with a pinch more sugar or a splash of vinegar if needed.
  6. Shred the ham hock Once cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bone and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Stir most of it back into the sauce, reserving a little for topping. Keep the sauce warm on a low heat.
  7. Cook the chow mein noodles Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the dried egg noodles and cook for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions. Drain well, then spread them on a tray and pat dry with kitchen paper. This helps them crisp up nicely when fried.
  8. Fry the noodle cake Heat about 5cm vegetable oil in a wok or deep frying pan over high heat. Add the noodles in one layer to form a flat cake. Fry for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp underneath, then carefully flip and fry the other side until crisp. Lift out, drain on kitchen paper, then break into large chunks.
  9. Stir-fry the chow mein veg Wipe the wok and heat 2 tbsp fresh vegetable oil over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger paste and stir for 10 seconds until fragrant. Toss in the cabbage, spring onions, carrot, chillies, red pepper and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until just tender but still with a bit of bite.
  10. Assemble the ham hock chow mein Add the crispy noodle chunks to the veg in the wok, then spoon over a generous amount of the ham hock and sauce. Gently toss everything together so the noodles soak up some of that sticky, savoury yellow bean sauce. Pile into bowls and top with the reserved shredded ham and a scattering of fresh coriander.
Why not try  Scallops with lemon sauce and prawn linguine

What can you serve with this

  1. Steamed jasmine rice – Lets you stretch the dish further and soaks up any extra sauce, making it even more comforting.
  2. A cold lager or pale ale – A crisp, slightly bitter beer is a classic match for rich, salty-savoury dishes like this ham hock chow mein.

 

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