Zha Jiang Mian (老北京炸酱面)
Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面), or Fried Sauce Noodles (literal translation), definitely has a special place in my heart as someone who grew up in Beijing.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb pork belly
- 1 1-inch long piece of ginger
- 4 green onions
- 2 star anise
- 1/4 cup sweet bean sauce (甜面酱)
- 2 tablespoons soy bean paste (黄酱) + 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ~1 cup of hot water
- bunch of fresh-cut white noodles
- 1 medium or half of a large cucumber
- 1 medium radish (such as daikon or watermelon radish)
- 1 medium zucchini
Instructions
- 1
Separate the fat and lean parts of the pork belly and cut them into small cubes.
- 2
Peel and mince the ginger. Separate the green onions into white and green parts. Cut each part into small pieces. Set aside.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of soy bean paste (黄酱) with 2 tablespoons of water. Then mix in the 1/4 cup of sweet bean sauce.
- 4
Heat a wok or fry pan under medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When oil is getting warm, add the fatty pork belly cubes, stirring often until oil comes out of the fat cubes. Then add the lean pork belly cubes, minced ginger, white part of the green onions, and the 2 star anise, stirring to combine.
- 5
When the pork belly meat has turned from pink to mostly white, add 1/3 to 1/2 of the the mixed sauce from step 3. Toss and stir often until the sauce is bubbling but is not jumping around. (Adding all the sauce all at once results in lowering the heat too much and can cause the sauce to be boiled rather than fried). Repeat the same procedure one or two more times to fry all the sauce with the pork belly.
- 6
Add the 1 cup of hot water in 2 to 3 separate portions. Stir constantly to ensure the sauce is always bubbling but not burned. Lower the heat and cover the lid to let the zha jiang (炸酱 or fried sauce) simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Check often to make sure the sauce is not too dry. When the liquid has reduced in volume by approximately half, and the pork belly cubes have a dark reddish glossy color, turn off the heat. Add the green parts of the green onions. Pour the zha jiang to a large bowl.
- 7
While zha jiang is being simmered, prepare the toppings and noodles. Julienne the cucumber, radish, and zucchini. Put each into separate plates. Heat a large pot of water. When the water boils, add the freshly made white noodles. Cook according to the instructions on the noodle package. When the noodles are cooked, take the noodles out and rinse in cold water briefly to stop the cooking process. Transfer the noodles into large and deep bowls.
- 8
Take a bowl of white noodles, add a few spoons of zha jiang sauce and various toppings. Mix well and Enjoy!