Last Updated on September 17, 2023
There are days that are so hot that you just can’t fathom eating, but there are also days that are still really hot and you are hungry. This might just be the perfect dish for the hot and hungry days. That’s because although a cold noodle bowl is always delicious, on a high temperature day, it tastes light but won’t leave you hungry.
In this bowl, we first toss noodles in a chili-garlic oil with sesame, ginger, scallion and herbs. As the noodles sit and marinate in the sauce, we sear ButcherBox’s Pork Tenderloin that’s been very generously rubbed with crushed sesame seeds. The super nutty meat is then sliced thinly and laid over the noodles. The dish is highly tasty and excluding the herbs, the recipe is relatively pantry friendly.

Ingredients
- 1 ButcherBox Pork Tenderloin defrosted and patted very dry
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb long egg noodles like ramen lo mein or even spaghetti
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp chili oil plus more for serving
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger finely grated
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ cup white sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion
Instructions
- Slice the pork tenderloin in half to make two short pieces then season with salt and pepper and set on a plate in the fridge, uncovered.
- Heat a large pot of water and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water until chilled. Set aside. In a large bowl put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Whisk very well to combine and dissolve sugar. Add the noodles and toss very well to coat.
- Take the seasoned pork out of the fridge. In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, pulse or pound the sesame seeds until they start to break up and are coarsely ground. Sprinkle half of the ground sesame over the pork and set the remaining sesame aside. Rub the sesame all over the pork, coating it as thoroughly as possible, then set aside.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sesame-crusted pork and sear on one side, undisturbed, until golden brown, then turn and repeat on all other sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. The pork is done when it registers 145º F and all sides are evenly golden. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes.
- Toss ½ of the basil and cilantro, the scallion and remaining ground sesame with the noodles. Transfer the noodles into bowls, slice the pork thinly and place atop the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs. Serve with more chili oil, if desired.
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