Beijing Noodles (Zhajiangmian)

China’s famous fried-sauce noodles: thick wheat noodles under a savory ground pork and fermented bean sauce with crunchy raw toppings.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 golf-ball-size piece ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup Chinese fermented black beans, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 12 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp sweet wheat sauce
• 6 tbsp ground bean paste (or 4 tbsp toban djan)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 1 cup Shaoxing wine or sake
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup pickled mustard greens
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 tbsp toasted Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
• 1 lb thick Chinese wheat noodles
• Garnish: julienned scallion, julienned cucumber, sliced radish

Directions

1. Combine the pork with salt, cornstarch, sesame oil, white pepper and onion and let rest 30 minutes.
2. Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium heat and brown the pork mixture, then add the ginger, black beans, garlic, leeks and mushrooms and stir-fry several minutes.
3. Add the sweet wheat sauce, bean paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, scallions, Shaoxing wine and broth. Lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
4. Cook the noodles, drain, and divide among 4 to 6 bowls.
5. Top with carrots, pickled mustard greens and crushed Sichuan peppercorns, spoon the sauce over, and garnish with scallion, cucumber and radish.

Notes

Andrew Zimmern’s version of Beijing fried-sauce noodles, one of China’s most famous noodle dishes.