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Beijing Zhajiang Mian (老北京炸醬麵)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Category: Noodles
Region: Beijing

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh Shanghai noodles
  • 1 cup watermelon radish thinly julienned
  • 1 cup cucumber thinly julienned
  • 1/4 cup scallion sliced thinly

Meat Sauce

  • 12 ounces pork belly
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced scallion
  • 1/3 cup yellow bean paste (黃醬)
  • 1/4 cup sweet bean paste (甜麵醬)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup Shaoxing cooking wine (紹興料酒)
  • 2 cups pork stock or water

Instructions

  • Cut the pork belly into quarter-inch cubes or julienne and set aside. Cook the diced pork belly on medium heat in a wok until a small quantity of fat renders out. Add the minced garlic and scallion to the wok. Stir-fry the pork for another one minute or so then add the rest of the sauce ingredients into the wok. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir the pork mixture occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning. It is ready when the sauce is reduced to a thick paste and the fat from the pork is bubbling.
  • Just before serving bring a large pot of water to a boil and plunge the noodles into the pot while separating them. Bring the water back to a boil and immediately drain the noodles. Divide the noodles into four bowls. Separate the shredded radish and cucumber into four portions and place them on top of the noodles. Separate the meat sauce into four portions and scoop it on top of the noodles. Garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.
  • The sauce is very oily resulting from rendered fat of the pork belly. Although the Chinese prized the fat but you may want to scoop the meat and the sauce out carefully and discarding the extra fat.