Dad's Sichuan Stir-Fry Noodles (Chaomian, 炒面)
The Mala MarketIngredients
- 7 ounces (200 grams) jianshui mian (dried alkaline wheat noodle)
- Neutral vegetable oil
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/3 ounce fresh ginger, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 teaspoon whole huajiao (Sichuan pepper)
- 2 dried erjingtiao chilies, chopped
- 12.5 ounces Napa cabbage, washed and slivered
- 2–3 tablespoons (40 grams; about 1/2 packet) zhacai (pickled mustard stems)
- 3 fresh scallions, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or more or less, to taste)
- ½ tablespoon Chinese light soy sauce (Zhongba preferred)
- ½ teaspoon Chinese dark soy sauce (Zhongba preferred)
- Ground huajiao, for garnish see note
Instructions
- In a pot of boiling water, cook the alkaline noodles a few minutes, until just short of al dente. Strain the noodles then lift and separate them to cool. Toss them in a light drizzle of oil (just enough to keep the strands from sticking). Set aside.
- Heat a pan or wok, then add the ground pork and cook until the fat renders out on its own and the meat browns (stir-fry the meat enough to separate it into a mince, then leave it alone to develop a crisp).Remove the meat from the pan so it doesn't overcook or steam; set it aside.
- Add more oil to the pan and gently coax the ginger, huajiao and chilies into life. (Adding the ginger with the dry aromatics keeps them from burning.) Stir-fry until fragrant.Add the slivered cabbage and cook until softened.
- Add the cooked noodles and pork to the pan, along with the zhacai, scallions and salt. Toss and lift the noodles to mix everything thoroughly. Add the light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, then toss again to mix. Plate the dish and garnish it with a liberal hand of ground huajiao.
Notes
GROUND HUAJIAO (Sichuan pepper):
Toast whole huajiao in a dry skillet until the pods start to smell very fragrant, but do not brown them. Let peppercorns cool, then grind in a spice grinder or in a mortar + pestle to your desired coarseness. Sichuan pepper powder will retain its potent flavor and numbing punch for only a few weeks.