Zha Jiang Mian（炸酱面）

Prepare all the ingredients.

Soak the soybeans overnight.

Cut the streaky pork into small cubes, separating the fat from the lean meat. Chop the green onions and onion. Mince a slice of ginger and slice the rest. Peel and slice the garlic. Cut the leftover green onion pieces into segments for later use.

Tips:

Separating the fat and lean meat prevents the lean meat from becoming dry and tough when frying.

Prepare the sauce in a large bowl. Combine the three types of paste (broad bean paste, yellow soybean paste, and sweet bean paste) with water or yellow wine according to your preference.

Tips:

①Adjust the ratio of the three pastes to your taste; for a sweeter sauce, add more sweet bean paste. Taste and adjust the sweetness with sugar if needed.

②Dry yellow soybean paste is solid and can be difficult to mix; add it gradually to the water while stirring.

Heat a pan with more oil than usual for stir-frying. Add ginger, green onion, garlic, and spices. Fry on low heat until fragrant, then discard the solids, leaving only the flavored oil.

Tips:

Do not skip this step; the flavored oil adds depth to the sauce.

Add the diced fat to the pan and fry until golden brown. Then add the lean meat cubes and fry until they change color. Add a tablespoon of cooking wine and some minced ginger to remove the odor.

Add minced onion and half of the minced green onion, and stir-fry briefly. Add the prepared sauce in three batches, stirring well after each addition to fully combine the meat and sauce. Cook on low heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Once the sauce thickens and you can see a layer of oil on top, add the remaining minced green onion and a bit of rock sugar for flavor. Fry until the green onion is fragrant, then turn off the heat.

Tips:

Rock sugar can be substituted with regular sugar.

Prepare the noodles. Mix the flour, water, and salt in a mixing bowl, and knead the dough until smooth using a stand mixer.

Tips:

Don't add too much water; the noodles should be firm and chewy.

Let the dough rest for half an hour.

Divide the dough in half, shape into balls, and roll flat.

Feed the flattened dough through the pasta machine to create smooth, flat sheets. It's normal for the dough to be irregular at first; repeated pressing will make it smooth and even.

Dust both sides of the dough sheets with flour to prevent sticking, fold them into rectangles, and continue pressing. The dough will become thinner and smoother with each pass.

Tips:

Dust with flour each time to prevent sticking. Fold and press repeatedly.

Feed the flattened dough through the pasta cutter attachment to make fresh, evenly thick noodles.

Dust the fresh noodles with flour to prevent sticking.

Prepare the toppings. Cook the soybeans and edamame, blanch the bean sprouts, and celery, Dice the celery.

Rub the cucumber with salt to clean the skin, peel the carrot, and the watermelon radish, then cut into strips.

Use the pasta machine to julienne the vegetables in seconds.

Tips:

you can julienne them by hand.

Place the julienned vegetables in a bowl; they add a refreshing crunch to the noodles.

Tips:

Adjust the amount and variety of vegetables to your taste.

Boil the noodles. Add some salt and a few drops of oil to the boiling water. Stir the noodles to prevent sticking. Rinse the cooked noodles with cold water for a smoother texture.

Place the rinsed noodles in a bowl.

Arrange the julienned vegetables on top of the noodles and add a generous spoonful of the flavorful sauce. The colorful presentation is very appetizing.

Mix the noodles, sauce, and vegetables well before eating. The noodles are chewy and smooth, the savory sauce is aromatic, and the crisp vegetables and tender soybeans add a delightful texture.