炸醬麵 (noodle in ground pork bean sauce)

This is a common Northern China dry noodle dish.  You can find it in most of the Chinese noodle restaurants.  It is tasty and easy to make and can be served as a whole meal because it has vegetables, carb (noodle), and meat.  My whole family like it very much.

Ingredients:

Ground pork 1lb
Bean curbs 2 pieces (optional)
Bean Sauce 2 TB
Sweet Bean Sauce 2TB
dry shrimps some (optional)
garlic 3 cloves (optional)
scallion 2 stems
Dry or fresh Chinese noodles
carrot 1/2 stick
cucumber 1 pc
bean sprout some (optional)

Steps: 

The meat sauce

1. Marinate the ground pork with 2 teaspoon corn starch, 1 table spoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add some minced ginger root, let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Soften dry shrimps in warm water for 10 minutes and mince them.  mince the garlic and chopped the scallions.
3. I don't usually add bean curbs in the sauce, but I know a lot of people like to add bean curbs.  This time, I happen to have two pieces left, so I added it in.  Chop the bean curbs finely. I sliced the it horizontally into three slices first, then cut them in each direction.
4. In a big wok, heat 5 Table spoon vegetable oils, then add the pork.  Separate the meat with a spatula and stir until the meat change color. Push the meat to the side of the wok, there should be oil left in the center of the wok.  Put in minced dry shrimps and garlics and 2 tablespoon of bean sauce and 2 table spoon of sweet bean sauce (see picture on the right, you can find those in a Chinese supermarket)  Then mix the meat with the sauce, add 3 or 4 table spool water.   Note most of people only use bean sauce for the meat sauce, but it is very salty.  Adding equal amount of sweet bean sauce makes it less salty and with some sweet taste.    Turn the heat to low, cover it and let it cook for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the chopped scallions on top of the meat sauce and put it in a big bowl (see picture at the top)

The vegetables

I like to  add some shredded vegetables in the noodle.  You can use one or more different vegetables.  In the restaurant, they only use cucumbers, I usually use carrots, cucumbers and bean sprouts.  Carrots and cucumbers are raw, bean spouts has to be boiled for a couple of minutes.  You can use the big American cucumber or the thin Japanese cucumber.  You have to peel the skin if you use American cucumber and you can leave the skin on if you use the thin Japanese cucumber.  

The noodles

Nowadays, Chinese supermarkets sell fresh Chinese noodles, they tasted way better than the dry noodles in boxes.  I like to buy 安泰麵廠 台式陽春麵。It comes in a big bag. You can break them into rolls, one roll can make a bowl of noodles.  Remember to put the unused raw noodles in the freezer.  It will be molded if you leave them in the refrigerator.  If you put them in the freezer, it can last for a long time.  If you can't find fresh noodles, use the dry ones is fine.  Just cook them according to the instruction on the box or taste it to check if the noodle is cooked.  Make sure you have enough water in the pot when you cook the noodle. 

Now, you just add the meat sauce and vegetable and here you go!!