Zha Jiang Mein - Chinese Noodles With Pork And Bean Sauce

I've adapted this recipe from one found on another website. The meat sauce is sweet, salty, and savory with tender pork and fresh, crunchy vegetables. If at all possible, use fresh noodles instead of dried it makes a huge difference. If you like a spicier dish, try making a batch of my Vietnamese sate chile sauce and adding a few tablespoons at the very end of the cooking.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 868 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
• ¾ cup beer
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, minced
• 2 carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces
• 5 tablespoons ground bean sauce
• 1 head bok choy, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 1 cucumber, cut into matchstick-size pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat; cook and stir scallions, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pork; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 2

Mix hoisin sauce, beer, ground bean sauce, and sugar into pork mixture. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Add bok choy and stir to incorporate. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes more.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in the boiling water until tender yet firm to the bite, 1 to 3 minutes; drain and transfer to a bowl.

Step 4

Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add mung beans, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 5

Serve sauce over noodles and top with cucumber, carrots, and bean sprouts.