Zha Jiang Mian

Trying to make an old Chinese staple/favorite here. I used ground beef, but I'd probably use ground turkey or ground pork in the future. Also, instead of sweet bean paste I used hoisin, which was slightly overpowering. In the future, I'd stick to the sweet bean paste, and perhaps also add a little heat from some chili sauce. Also, I was lazy and cooked everything in the same pot; for best results, the meat should be cooked first, then removed. Then the garlic/green onions sauteed, then the meat added back in, then the sauces mixed separately then added into the meat.

Quantities aren't listed here; mix to taste.

Zha Jiang Mian

- Ground beef
- Scallions (use more scallions + green onions for a fresher taste)
- Garlic
- Shaoxin rice wine
- Hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce
- Fermented black bean sauce
- Pepper (skip the salt since the black bean sauce is very salty)
- Sugar
- Julienned carrots and cucumbers for garnish

1. Sautee green onions and minced garlic together.
2. Add in ground meat.
3. Add Shaoxin rice wine.
4. Add in hoisin sauce, black bean sauce, pepper, sugar. Mix to taste. Alternatively, dissolve the hoisin, black bean sauce, and other flavorings in 1/2 cup water first, add to meat, then reduce.
5. Serve with thicker style noodles, and top with julienned carrots and cucumbers.