Known as bam-i in the Visayas, pancit miki bihon is a stir fried noodle dish from the Philippines that combines rice sticks (bihon) and egg noodles. We used pork for this version; you may opt for chicken, shrimps or a combination pork, chicken and shrimps.
It’s the kind of dish that can feed an army without breaking the bank. Since pancit bihon is so popular during the holidays, why not give pancit bihon a break and add more texture to your noodle dish by serving pancit miki bihon instead.
How do you give the bihon that lovely golden hue? Soy sauce. You season the noodles with soy sauce.
Why do the vegetables not turn dark from the soy sauce? Well, you season the noodles with soy sauce but you use patis (fish sauce) for the vegetables. That way, when you toss everything together, the color of the vegetables remain bright.
And by using both soy sauce and fish sauce in the same dish, you get richer flavors too. Both are the result of fermentation and, as such, are imbued with deep flavors that are impossible to replicate if you simply use salt.
And the pork? Is it seasoned with soy sauce or fish sauce? Ahhh… the pork is seasoned very simply with salt and pepper.
Pancit Miki Bihon
Print PinIngredients
- 150 grams bihon (rice sticks) not to be confused with sotanghon
- 200 grams miki (fresh egg noodles), thin or thick, it's your choice
- 500 grams pork belly cut into half-inch strips
- salt
- pepper
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (yes, that much!), divided
- ½ cup finely sliced shallots divided
- 1 carrot peeled and julienned
- ½ head white cabbage cored and cut into half-inch strips
- 15 green beans trimmed and cut diagonally into half-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Place the bihon in a bowl and pour in enough hot water to cover. Leave for at least 20 minutes to soften. Drain well.
- Blanch the miki in boiling water, drain, rinse under the tap and drain again.
- Place the pork in a pan and cover with water. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Discard the cooking liquid.
- Clean out the pan and put the pork back in. Cover with clean water. Add a tablespoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Bring to the boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in a frying pan. Add the drained pork and pan fry until lightly browned.
- Add half of the garlic and shallots to the pork. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about a minute.
- Turn up the heat. Add the carrot, green beans and cabbage to the pork. Cook, tossing and stirring, for half a minute. Drizzle in a tablespoon of fish sauce. Continue cooking, stirring often, for another three to four minutes. Taste. Add more fish sauce, if too bland for you. DO NOT overcook the vegetables.
- Scoop out the contents of the frying pan and set aside.
- Pour in the remaining cooking oil and heat.
- Saute the remaining garlic and shallots in the hot oil.
- Add the drained bihon and miki to the garlic and shallots. Toss a few times.
- Drizzle in the soy sauce. Keep tossing and stirring until the noodles are hot and evenly colored.
- Add the pork and vegetables to the noodles. Stir well to distribute evenly. Cook for another minute to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve your pancit miki bihon with kalamansi halves (or lime or lemon wedges) on the side.
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