Zhajiangmian: Spicy Pork Noodles
Chinese street-food noodles tossed with a savory-spicy pork sauce made from fermented bean paste. Ready in 25 minutes with minimal prep and one pan.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground pork
- 3 tbsp fermented bean paste (doubanjiang or miso)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 oz fresh noodles or pasta (ramen, spaghetti, or lo mein)
- 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 2
Slice the scallions crosswise into thin rings, about 1/8-inch thick, separating the white and light green parts from the darker green tops.
- 3
Fill a large pot with water, set it over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil—large bubbles breaking the surface continuously—about 8 minutes.
- 4
Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the ground pork and stir, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and it is light brown, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Reduce the heat to medium, then add the minced garlic to the pork and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the smell becomes very strong and fragrant.
- 6
Add the fermented bean paste to the pork and stir constantly for 1 minute, breaking up any clumps, until it looks smooth and coats all the meat.
- 7
Pour in the soy sauce and stir until the sauce looks dark and glossy, about 30 seconds.
- 8
Remove the skillet from heat and set aside while you cook the noodles.
- 9
When the water is boiling, add the noodles and stir gently with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking together; cook for the time listed on the package until they bend easily but still have a slight firmness when you bite one.
- 10
Place a colander in your sink, then carefully pour the noodles into the colander to drain all the water.
- 11
Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls, then spoon half the pork sauce onto each bowl.
- 12
Scatter the darker green scallion tops over each bowl as garnish.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- large pot
- wooden spoon
- colander
- two bowls
- cutting board
- knife
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