Pancit Canton Noodles

okay, this is one of those recipies that have been made in my family for generations so the actual measurements we do it by eye (I'm really really sorry about this -_- I myself do not like eye-balling recipies. But i do hope you have fun with this though). This is a bit different than the Chinese stir-fry egg noodles or your other Pancit which uses vermicelli noodles. We use "Pancit Canton" which are yellow in colour and thicker than other noodles. Here's a picture of it. http://www.afodltd.com/images/70-032.jpg. NOTE: these are not chow-mien noodles. Pancit Canton can be found at your asian grocer beside the vermicellis....sometimes you can see them at your local grocery store though. I'm just going to estimate the figures here, but feel free to experiment for yourself =)


1-2 pounds of pork butt, cubed OR meat of your preference
2-4 tbs water
1 tbs vinegar

oil for stir frying
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
chinese sausage OR chorizo
shrimps
water
Oyster sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste
veggies such as snow peas, cauliflower, brocolli, carrots or whatever you would like =)
3 large packages of "Pancit Canton" http://www.afodltd.com/images/70-032.jpg
lemon for garnishing/topping

-To cook the cubed pork, place in a wok with a bit of water (around 2-4 tablespoons) and a drizzle of vinegar (don't over do this - around 1 tbs of vinegar please).
-we will have to brown this until crispy; my great-grandma used to do it this way. It doesn't use much oil because of the fat produced by the pork. All the meats and veggies used here will give the flavour to the broth to be used. This also may take a long time to brown, as you'll have to reduce the water to almost nothing and wait for the oil to be produced.
-If you like, you can use thinner strips of chicken, or chicken breast, or beef and cook it as you would like in a bit of oil...just to brown it =)
-After they've been cooked until golden brown, take all the meat and put it in a container/plate (put it aside)

-with the same wok or big pan, sautee the garlic and onion until caramelized. add in the sausage/chorizo and cook for about 2 minutes.
-add the shrimp in with the sausage (the reason that we do this is because sausages take longer to cook than shrimps....similar method is applied to veggies later)
-If you need more oil to cook the sausage and shrimp, you can add some more oil in small amounts
-when cooked, place the sausage and shrimps with the cooked pork

- with the same wok again, mix 4-6 cups of water with the oyster sauce
-cover with lid and bring this to a boil
-when it's boiling, you can add your salt and pepper (remember to keep this at moderation as you can always add them later)
- you can add your veggies with the longest to cook first
-bring this to a boil again.
- When the veggies are cooked, put them aside with the pork, sausage, and shrimps.

-With the broth boiling, lower down your heat to low/medium
-add in your noodles by 1 package at a time; this can be a wee bit hard to maneuver as the package of noodles is a big chunk of square rice sticks.
-you'll have to work quickly at this point because you wouldn't want one package to absorb all the broth, so have your noodle packages opened.
-once one package is in, you'll have to toss it around, making sure that most of the noodles are soaked.
-repeat this again with the other noodles
-remember that these noodles soak in liquid; you still have to cook it for a bit so it's good to remember that the steam can also contribute to the cooking of the noodles.
- if the noodles need to be cooked more, just add a bit of water (bit by bit) until it's cooked
- if the noodles need more salt then this is a good time to add it.

-when all the packages are in and they've softened to your desired consistency, you can add the pork, sausage, shrimp and veggies.
-cook for a bit until everything is evenly tossed in together

-you can drizzle a bit of lemon juice to give it a tangy taste...usually we just cut up some lemon slices and put them on the side so people who likes lemon with their noodles can use it
-traditionally, we use calamansi lemons (calmodine), so if you have these, try using them!