Zha jiang mian are delicious Chinese noodles, named after the fermented soy bean paste that flavors meat and wheat udon.
In the traditional recipe of zha jiang mian, minced pork is used, but there are several variations.
For this version I wanted to use minced veal from Calf of Casa Vercelli.
Obtained only from meats of fine calves, born, bred and selected in Italy, this minced meat is tasty and versatile, suitable for many recipes. It is digestible, has very little fat and a high content of proteins and amino acids.
post made in collaboration with Calf of Casa Vercelli
ingredients for 2 people
WHAT
- 2 tablespoons of seed oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 cm of fresh ginger
- half a shallot
- 150 g of minced veal
- 1 tablespoon of fermented soy bean paste
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 8 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 300 g of fresh udon
- 1 carrot
- 1 small cucumber (or a courgette)
- cilantro to serve
- black pepper to taste
HOW TO PREPARE ZHA JIANG MIAN
In a non-stick pan I heated a tablespoon of seed oil and sautéed the finely chopped garlic, shallot and ginger. I browned a couple of minutes then I added the minced meat, stirring with a wooden spoon, to break it up completely.
I cooked about 5 minutes, until golden brown, then combined the bean paste and soy sauce, stirring for another 2 minutes. In the meantime, I dissolved the 8 teaspoons of cornstarch in 4 teaspoons of water, mixing carefully to avoid the formation of lumps. once I obtained a fluid mixture, I added it to the pan, lowered the heat and finished cooking for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another pan, I heated the remaining spoonful of seed oil and poured the beaten egg to form a very thin omelette. As soon as the top has set, I removed from the heat and cut into strips.
Finally I cut the carrot and cucumber (or courgette) into sticks, cooked i noodles according to the instructions on the package and I drained them.
It's time to serve: hot noodles, flavorful minced veal, crunchy veggies and egg ribbons. A touch of green from coriander (or parsley if you prefer), a sprinkle of black pepper and zha jiang mian are ready.
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