Maki Mi Recipe (Filipino Chinese Pork Noodle Soup)

What’s great about maki mi is that it can easily be customized to individual tastes. You start with a bowl of egg noodles, add as much or as little broth and pork as you’d like, and most importantly, adjust the flavor of the soup with your choice of condiments. Ting’s preference is to add at least a tablespoon of black vinegar, a teaspoon of chile oil, a sprinkle of toasted garlic, and plenty of chopped scallions.

For the pork:

• 1 lb. pork loin, thinly sliced and cut into wide strips
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine
• 1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¼ cup potato starch

For the soup:

• ¼ cup potato starch (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon powder, plus more if needed
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• Sesame oil, for drizzling
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Cooked fresh or dry egg noodles, for serving
• Toasted garlic, chopped scallions, chile oil, and Chinese black vinegar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Make the pork: In a medium bowl, stir together the pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing, black pepper, sesame oil, and garlic. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours.
• Add the potato starch to the marinated pork and toss to coat. Set aside.
• Make the soup: If using a slurry, in a small bowl, stir together the potato starch and 1 cup of cold water until the starch is dissolved. Set aside.
• To a medium pot over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bouillon powder and 6 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pork strips one at a time and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce.
• If using the slurry, while stirring continuously, slowly pour in the slurry, adding as much or as little as you prefer, until the soup is thickened and coating the back of a spoon.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the eggs until streaky and cooked through. Drizzle in the sesame oil and season to taste with black pepper.
• Divide the egg noodles among bowls, then ladle the soup on top. Garnish with toasted garlic, scallions, chile oil, and black vinegar if desired and serve.