This is a recipe for a noodle dish that I've been eating all my life called Zha Jiang Mian that relies heavily on the use of Chinese black bean sauce. It can vary pretty widely depending on where in the world you are, but this one comes pretty close to how my dad used to make it for my brother and I when we were kids. Hope ya try it.
serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ginger (about 1 inch)
1 carrot
cucumber
4 strips bacon (thick cut)
8 oz egg noodles (or dried fettuccine)
8 oz ground pork (or any ground meat)
INGREDIENTS (sauce)
4 shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp black bean sauce
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 star anise pod
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
PREP
CRUSH AND MINCE garlic
MINCE ginger
JULIENNE carrots and cucumber
SOAK shiitake mushrooms in boiled water
DICE bacon
SOAK fresh egg noodles in boiled water for 1 minute, then immediately remove and rinse in cold water
COMBINE all sauce ingredients
ON THE STOVE
ADD the bacon to a cold wok and heat the wok up as hot as possible
REMOVE the bacon but reserve the bacon fat, then add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
ADD ground pork and break up large pieces, then saute for 2 minutes until mostly browned
ADD noodles, bacon, and sauce to the wok and toss to combine
FINISH with cucumbers and carrots