Teochew Bak Chor Mee
Springy egg noodles tossed in black vinegar and chili, topped with minced pork, braised mushrooms and crisp fried lard.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 55 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Bak chor mee means "minced meat noodles," and the Teochew version served across Singapore is tossed, not soupy, in a sauce built on black vinegar and chili with crisp fried lard scattered on top.
Rendering your own lard takes fifteen minutes and makes a real difference. It gives you both the crunchy bits on top and the fat you toss the noodles in, and skipping it leaves the dish flatter than it should be.
Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.
method
Render the diced pork fatback slowly in a dry pan over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fat renders out and the pieces turn golden and crisp. Strain, keeping both the crisp lard bits and the rendered fat separately.
Season the ground pork with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and half the garlic, and cook it in a little of the rendered lard until browned and crumbly. Set aside.
Simmer the sliced mushrooms with the remaining garlic, the remaining soy sauce and a splash of water for 10 minutes, until tender and well seasoned. Set aside.
Bring the stock to a simmer and poach the meatballs in it for 5 minutes, until cooked through. Keep the stock hot.
Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender, then drain well.
In each serving bowl, mix a tablespoon of the rendered lard, black vinegar, chili sauce and fish sauce. Add the hot noodles and toss well to coat.
Top with the minced pork, braised mushrooms, crispy lard bits and chives. Serve the hot broth and meatballs in a small bowl on the side.
chef's tips
- The lard is not optional seasoning, it is a defining ingredient. Rendering your own, rather than skipping it, is the difference between a flat bowl and the real thing.
- This is traditionally eaten tossed, or "dry," with the broth and meatballs served separately on the side rather than poured over the noodles.
- Black vinegar, not regular rice vinegar, gives the dish its particular sharpness. It is worth buying the real thing.
- Thin, springy egg noodles (mee kia) hold the sauce better than thicker noodles here. If your grocer only has the thick kind, it still works, just slightly differently.