Zhá Jiàng Miàn
Chinese 'Fried Sauce' Noodles
Submitted By: Taz

Ingredients:

½ lb Ground Pork (Zhūròu) - can substitute finely diced pork belly (Wǔhuāròu)
2 cloves Fresh Garlic (Dàsuàn) - minced
1 inch piece Fresh Ginger (Jiāng) - minced
1 Tbs Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 Tbs Oil - can use peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
½ tsp Chinese Brown Sugar* (Piàn Táng)

Sauce:
1 ¼ Cup Warm Water
2 Tbs Chinese Yellow Soybean Paste (Huáng Jiàng)
1 Tbs Sweet Wheat/Soybean Paste (Tian Mian Jiang)
1 Tbs Dark Soy Sauce (Lǎo Chōu)

'Noodle Bowls':
8 oz Fresh Chinese Wheat Noodles**
1 Cup Carrot (Húluóbo) - julienned
1 Cup Cucumber (Huángguā) - julienned
½ Cup Green Onions [White Parts Only] (Cōng) - julienned
½ Cup Bean Sprouts (Lǜ Dòuyá)
-OPTIONAL-
½ Cup Green Soybeans [AKA Edamame] (Máodòu)
¼ Cup Roasted, Unsalted Peanuts (Huāshēng)

Preparation:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the 'sauce' ingredients - Set aside until needed
  2. Heat oil in a medium wok or pan over medium heat until shimmering - Add the pork and stir fry until slightly browned - Add Shaoxing rice wine and thoroughly combine - Push the pork up the side of the wok (or move to the outer edges of the pan) - Reduce heat to low
  3. Add garlic and ginger to the clear space and stir fry until aromatic (apx 45 seconds)
  4. Add the sauce (from step 1), mix everything together, and bring to a simmer - Allow to simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes - Add sugar. and thoroughly combine (if necessary, increase the heat and allow to cook [stirring constantly] until sauce thickens)
  5. While the sauce is simmering, cook your noodles according to manufacturer's directions
  6. Blanch your carrots and soybeans (if using) in a small pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes, drain, and transfer to an ice bath for a minimum 5 minutes to stop cooking process before draining
  7. Drain and divide the noodles into 4-6 serving bowls - Divide the carrot, cucumber, green onion, bean sprouts, soybeans (if using), and peanuts (if using) equally around the outside of the noodles in each serving bowl
  8. Once the sauce is fully cooked and thickened, divide equally over the noodles in each bowl and serve immediately
     * AKA: Bar Brown Sugar, Brick Sugar, Blooming Brown Sugar, Brown Candy, and Brown Rock Sugar
  ** Can use fresh Lao Miàn, Udon, Wonton, Shanghai, or La Mien, noodles