Dad in the Kitchen!!: Asian Spiced Pork Chops w/ Pan Fried Udon Noodles!!

We love Asian food in our house, whether it is simple Chinese take out like fried rice or beef with broccoli, or going out to a nice Japanese steakhouse for hibachi steak or chicken and all that comes with it. After a recent visit to a new Japanese steakhouse in our neighborhood, we were introduced to grilled Udon noodles. They were brought precooked on a tray and slapped on the grill in front of us, seasoned with spices and soy sauce and heaped into bowls. Now we pretty much like any type of pasta in our house and this was no exception, everyone loved it! A few days later everyone was still talking about the noodles and wanted some more so I decided to try them myself. I watched the cook make them in front of us that night and it looked simple enough.......and it was! These noodles are a great alternative to rice and take less time to make. I pair them with beef, chicken, pork or fish which I marinade in a simple blend of Asian spices and grill or broil in the oven.

For the marinade:
1 cup soy sauce
1 tbs. Thai chili garlic sauce (more if you like spicy like me)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
4-6 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbs. honey
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
3 scallions chopped
2 tbs. chopped cilantro

As I've stated previously, when I cook I do not measure out the ingredients and these are just approximations. This marinade is very versatile and flexible and can be tailored to your particular tastes, if you like spicy add more chili sauce, if you don't like ginger or scallions leave them out, etc. For this recipe we had some pork chops in the fridge so that is what I used, it could just have easily been done with chicken, steak or even fish.

Place the pork chops in a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add all the ingredients of the marinade. Allow the meat to marinade for at least 20 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to penetrate and flavor the chops. While the meat is marinating, turn your attention to the Udon noodles. Chop or grate 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp. of fresh ginger, set aside. You will also need some sesame seeds, about 1-2 tsp. depending on how much you like them (again you can leave them out). Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the noodles, they only cook for about four minutes in the water so don't drop them yet.

After the meat is finished marinating bring it to the grill. Obviously you can also cook in the oven or under the broiler if you prefer. Place the chops on the grill and spoon some of the marinade on top, cook the chops for a few minutes turning a quarter turn halfway through to get nice grill marks. Turn the chops over and cook the same way with a little marinade on top turning a quarter turn halfway through on the other side. The total cooking time for these chops was about 6-8 minutes per side. When they are cooked through remove them to a plate to rest, be careful not to over cook the pork they will dry out.

Now get a non stick pan and add a few tbs. of sesame oil and olive oil. When it is hot enough add the garlic and ginger to the oil and drop the Udon noodles in the boiling water.

Be careful not to burn the garlic and ginger, after a couple minutes add the sesame seeds (if you like). They will burn easilyy so watch them carefully. The noodles are done in about 4 minutes, you just want them soft not cooked all the way. Immediately add them to the pan and toss with the garlic, ginger and sesame seeds. If it is too dry add some more sesame oil. After a minute or so add soy sauce to taste tossing to coat evenly.