Slow-Roasted Lamb + Thai Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Kale

Serves 2–3.

Forequarter chops do the oven work first; the wok finish is fast. Tamarind (optional, below) pushes it toward pad thai territory.

Ingredients

• Lamb forequarter chops (~400g cooked meat once boned)
• 200g dried rice noodles (flat, pad-see-ew width is ideal; vermicelli works too)
• 4–5 leaves kale, stems stripped, leaves torn
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1–2 bird's eye chilies, sliced (or chili flakes)
• Neutral oil for frying
• Optional: lemongrass (bruised, minced), coriander roots/stems, lime wedges, fresh coriander, sliced cucumber

Sauce

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (dark soy if you have it)
• 1 tsp sugar (palm if you've got it)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp water
• • a spoonful of lamb pan juices, reserved from step 1

Steps

1. Chops. Roast covered at 150°C for ~1.5–2 hrs until fork-tender. Rest 10 min. Chop meat into bite-size pieces; keep bones for stock. Reserve a spoonful of pan juices for the sauce.
2. Noodles. Soak rice noodles in hot (not boiling) water until pliable but still firm — 5–10 min for wide noodles, 3–5 for thin. Drain. Don't cook them fully; they finish in the wok.
3. Wok. High heat, neutral oil. Fry garlic + chili 20 sec. Add kale, toss 1–2 min, splash of water to help it wilt.
4. Add lamb pieces, toss to heat through and get some colour.
5. Add noodles + sauce + reserved pan juice. Toss hard 1–2 min until noodles are soft and coated and the sauce has reduced slightly.
6. Off heat: lime wedge, fresh coriander, sliced cucumber if you want the classic Thai cool-sweet contrast.

Notes

• Kale is tougher than Thai greens — slice it thin (chiffonade) so it wilts fast and doesn't fight the noodles.
• Variation: swap 1 tbsp of the water for tamarind paste and add a bit more sugar for a pad-thai-leaning version.