Ants Climbing a Tree

Name: Ants Climbing a Tree
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 7 oz ground pork (200 grams); 1.75 oz carrot (50 grams); 1 wood ear mushroom; 2 green onions; 2 bundles glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli); 1 teaspoon minced ginger; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon mirin; 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice wine; 1 tablespoon mirin; To taste toasted sesame oil; 1/2 cup water or broth (120 ml)

凱茜媽咪の廚房 @Kathy_kitchen

Ants Climbing a Tree is a classic Sichuan dish, featuring ground pork stir-fried with glass noodles in a savory, glossy sauce. This easy recipe is perfect for meal prep—it reheats and steams well, making it a great choice for lunchboxes. The name comes from the way the ground pork clings to the noodles, resembling ants climbing on branches. My daughter, who loves noodle dishes, especially enjoys this for lunch.

凱茜媽咪の廚房 @Kathy_kitchen

Saved

Ingredients

20 minutes

Serves 4 servings

7 ozground pork (200 grams)
1.75 ozcarrot (50 grams)
1wood ear mushroom
2green onions
2 bundlesglass noodles (mung bean vermicelli)
1 teaspoonminced ginger
1 teaspoonminced garlic
Marinade:
1 tablespoonsoy sauce
1 teaspoonmirin
1/2 teaspoonfive-spice powder
1/2 teaspoonwhite pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoonssoy sauce
2 tablespoonsrice wine
1 tablespoonmirin
To taste toasted sesame oil
1/2 cupwater or broth (120 ml)

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Gather all ingredients and seasonings.
2

Wash and peel the vegetables. Finely chop the carrot, wood ear mushroom, ginger, and garlic. Slice the green onions.
3

Place the ground pork in a freezer bag and mix well with the marinade ingredients.
4

Add the chopped carrot and wood ear mushroom to the pork, mix, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5

Soak the glass noodles in cold water for 5 minutes, then cut into shorter lengths.
6

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan. Sauté the minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add the ground pork mixture and stir-fry until partially cooked. Add the sauce ingredients and stir to combine, then pour in the water or broth.
7

Bring to a boil, add the glass noodles, and stir-fry quickly until the liquid is absorbed.
8

Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with green onions. Stir to combine.
9

Serve immediately, or pack into containers for lunchboxes.
10

Tips:
* Soak the glass noodles in cold water just until softened, then drain well.
* This version is mild and suitable for kids' lunchboxes.
* For a spicier dish, add chili sauce or spicy bean paste to the sauce.