Chengdu noodle shop owner Ma Yingjun shared his recipe for this dish of stewed pork over noodles. See Matt Gross's article Flavors of Sichuan for information on hard-to-find ingredients. This recipe first appeared in our March 2013 issue along with Matt Gross's story Capital of Heat.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 1⁄2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1" pieces
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (2") piece ginger, preferably young ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. douban jiang (Chinese red chile bean paste)
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1⁄4 cup Chinkiang black vinegar
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 tbsp. water
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 12 oz. thin Chinese wheat noodles
- 3 suan miao (Chinese chives, blossoms discarded) or scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- Asian pickled red chiles, drained and chopped, or sambal oelek; for garnish
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Instructions
Step 1
Heat oil in a 14" flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat; add pork and cook, stirring until browned, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and paste; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sugar, soy, and vinegar; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Return to boil, add cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Keep soup warm.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles until tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain and divide between 6 large serving bowls. Ladle soup over noodles and garnish with chives and pickled chiles.
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