Ingredients
1 lb. skin-on pork shoulder or pork belly, cut into 1" cubes
3 c. water
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1 (2") piece ginger, sliced
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 bay leaves
2 star anise pods
2 tbsp. refined coconut oil
2 c. shredded green cabbage
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the bias
8 cloves garlic, quartered
2 scallions, cut into 1" pieces on the bias
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
6 oz. rice vermicelli noodles
1 tbsp. calamansi or fresh lemon juice
Fried garlic (optional) and calamansi, lemon, or lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
Step 1In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine pork, water, soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce, bay leaves, and star anise and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until pork is fork-tender, about 25 minutes.Step 2Drain pork, reserve cooking liquid, and discard spices. Pat pork dry.
Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add pork, cover, and shake pan about every 20 seconds to sear, until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and wait for oil sputters to subside before uncovering. Transfer pork to a plate; reserve oil in skillet.Step 2Return skillet to medium-high heat. Cook cabbage, onion, carrot, garlic, scallions, salt, black pepper, and white pepper, stirring frequently, until vegetables turn golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.Step 3Meanwhile, return pot with cooking liquid to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and calamansi juice to skillet with pork and toss to combine.Step 4Divide pork and noodle mixture among bowls. Top with fried garlic, if using. Serve with calamansi wedges alongside.
The two most popular types are pancit bihon, which is made with rice vermicelli noodles, and pancit canton, made with a thicker, yellow wheat-based noodle that resembles lo mein and chow mein. This recipe uses rice vermicelli in order to maximize flavor: We will simmer the pork in a soy and fish sauce broth until tender, then use that umami-rich broth to cook our noodles until every last drop is absorbed. To multitask, begin simmering your pork before moving on to prepping your veggies. You will have 25 minutes while your pork is cooking to cut up your cabbage, onion, carrot, garlic, and scallions. Once the pork is tender, we will cook it a second time in coconut oil until the outside turns deeply golden and crispy. Make sure to use a skillet that has a lid because the fatty pork will splatter: Please be careful with this step! Shaking the pan while it’s lidded will ensure even searing on all the pieces without hot oil jumping everywhere. As the recipe instructs, please wait for oil sputters to subside before uncovering! As finishing touches, a squeeze of fresh calamansi or pour of bottled calamansi extract will give the dish an authentically Filipino brightness. Calamansi is a citrus hybrid with a green exterior and a bright orange flesh, puckery and floral at the same time, prominent in Filipino cooking. If you can’t find any, lemon or lime will do! For a little extra flavor bump, toss in a 1/2 teaspoon MSG right along at the end! Top your creation with a little bit of store-bought fried garlic for extra pizazz and you are all set to eat with vigor. Once you’ve made a plate of pancit, be sure to let us know in the comments below how you liked it!
