Roasted Pork & Soba Noodles

Remove the pork from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Pat the pork dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large, high-sided pan (or pot), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned pork and cook, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan on the stove, transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Roast 26 to 28 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. (An instant-read thermometer should register 145°F.) Remove from the oven. Transfer the roasted pork to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

While the pork sears, wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the squash lengthwise; cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut off and discard the bottom inch of the gai lan stems; roughly chop.

Once the pork has roasted for about 15 minutes, heat the pan of reserved fond on medium-high until hot. (If the pan seems dry, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.) Add the squash and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the gai lan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves have wilted.

Add the sweet chili sauce and vinegar to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the vegetables are coated. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the pork continues to roast, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Reserving 1 cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly and transfer to the pan of finished vegetables. Add the ponzu sauce and half the reserved noodle cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining noodle cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.

Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested pork; thinly slice crosswise against the grain. Transfer to the serving dish of finished noodles. Garnish with the peanuts. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!