Bak Chor Mee/ Minced pork noodles (soup)

Everyday I like to ask my lil boy "what do you want for lunch tomorrow?", this makes my life easier as I don't have to think of what's for lunch the next day. However, the food he asks for sometimes can be a challenge for me, especially that I've not been cooking for years when I was working, and/or I've not cooked before! Just this week, he requested for bak chor mee! and I was scratching my head with no answer (never cooked before) and mr. google only showed up dry bak chor mee, and not the soupy type - the popular one at 85 bedok north.

Regardless, I was all up to come out with my own version trying to recall the taste and what should go into the broth. Ordinarily, it seems crazy to spend so much time and effort just to cook for 2 persons - my lil boy and myself, but I would like to believe they are definitely healthier and of course, lots of luv! But again, not every lunch is so elaborated, our usual ones are easy one pot porridge or noodles *wink*.

Thankfully, my only audience is usually very supportive and appreciative, this time he gave me a 90 marks! Taste-wise, it not exactly like the 85 bedok north version, but it's on the right track and a good one. Our tummies are happy for now!

Bak Chor Mee/ Minced pork noodles (Soup)
(Served 3 portions)

Ingredients/ Method:

Soup
1 big pork bone
3-4 big bowls of water
3 big anchovies/ dried bream/ 蝙鱼, toasted and pound into powder form
1 tbsp preserved vegetables/ tung choy/ 冬菜, chopped

Minced meat
50g minced meat
1 1/2 tbsp corn flour
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce/ fish sauce
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Condiment
4 cloves garlic, diced and fried
pork lard, diced and fried (optional)

Others
1 pkt meat balls
2 balls of mee kia/ thin egg noodles/ 幼面

1. Toast the big anchovies in a toaster until fragrant and slightly charred. Alternatively, you can 'toast' it using the cooking pan. Using mortar, pound till powder form. Set aside.
2. Blanch the pork bone in boiling water for about 10 mins. Discard the water.
3. Fried pork lard, drained and reserved the oil. Set aside.
4. Fried garlic till golden brown using the pork lard oil, drained and set aside.
5. Marinate minced meat and set aside. I like to give the minced meat 'massages' and a few throws to make it more elastic and tender.
6. Boil 3-4 big bowls of water in a pot together with the pork bone. When boiling, add in anchovies powder and preserved vegetables, and continue boiling on low heat for at least an hour. Add in salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Add in meat balls in boiling soup.
8. To cook the minced meat, take a few scoops of boiling soup into the bowl of minced meat. Using the spatula or spoon, stir to 'separate' the minced meat so that they do not form into big chunks of meat. The minced meat should be semi-cooked by now. Add in few more scoops of boiling soup to fully cook them.
9. When done, add in the bowl of minced meat into the boiling soup. Let it boil for 1 minute.
10. At the same time, cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water. When done, drained and let it run under the tap water so that it does not stick together.
11. Prepare noodles for 1 person serving in a bowl, and add boiling soup to it.
12. Garnish with fried garlic and fried pork lard.
13. Ready to enjoy!

So... what's for lunch tomorrow?