Pork belly, charred eggplant, and crisp string beans in a quick peanut sauce over noodles. For fans of both kare-kare and peanut noodles, this is the best of both bowls.
Peanut noodles are the kind of meal you throw together on autopilot: boil noodles, stir sauce, done. But sometimes you want more from a bowl of noodles. This version borrows from kare-kare, pulling in pork belly for richness, charred eggplant for smoke, and crisp string beans for snap. The peanut sauce stays simple (peanut butter, bouillon, garlic), but those vegetables and pork do a lot of work turning a pantry staple into something that actually feels like a proper meal. Go with liempo sliced about ½-inch thick. The lean-to-fat ratio is ideal, and at that thickness the fat renders fast and the edges crisp up without needing to blanch. Thinner strips or even ground pork work fine, too. It's also great for prep-ahead situations. Cook the components separately, then toss everything together right before eating.
Season pork belly: Toss pork belly with fish sauce and let sit for 10 minutes. Pat dry before frying.
Fry pork belly: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the pork belly pieces in a single layer and fry until golden and crisp at the edges, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Leave the rendered fat and browned bits in the skillet.
Fry vegetables: In the same skillet with the pork fat, fry the eggplant rounds over high heat until lightly browned on each side, about 1 minute per side. Add the string beans and cook just until the color brightens but the pieces still have a snap when you bite into them, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
Boil noodles: Cook noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
Make peanut sauce: Lower the heat to medium. In the same skillet, fry garlic until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the water and crumbled bouillon cube, stirring to dissolve and scrape up any browned bits from the pork. Stir in the peanut butter until the sauce is smooth and uniform. It should be loose enough to coat noodles without clumping. If it's too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. Set aside a few spoonfuls of sauce for serving.
Toss and assemble: Add the noodles to the remaining sauce and toss until evenly coated. Divide among bowls and add a dollop of the reserved peanut sauce. Top with the pork belly, eggplant, and string beans. Finish with a generous scatter of crushed peanuts.
