Scissor cut noodles with pork zha jiang

Prepare
1-2 hours
Cook
30 mins to 1 hour
Serve
Serves 2

Perfectly imperfect scissor cut noodles are the ideal vessel for this deeply savoury pork sauce.

By Julie Lin

From Saturday Kitchen

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Ingredients

For the scissor cut noodles

  • 250g/9oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 180ml/6fl oz warm water
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (optional, for coating the dough)

For the pork zha jiang sauce

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 200g/7oz pork mince (40% fat, or the highest fat content available)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp yellow soybean paste (huang dou jiang)
  • 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang)
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar, to taste
  • salt

To serve

Method

  1. To make the noodles, start by mixing the flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the warm water, while stirring with chopsticks or a fork, until the dough starts to come together in shaggy clumps. Use your hands to bring the dough into a rough ball, then transfer to a clean work surface.

  2. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should feel firm but still pliable. You can also do this in a stand mixer. If the dough feels too dry, wet your hands and knead again. If it's too sticky, sprinkle over a little more flour.

  3. Once the dough is smooth, form it into a ball and coat it lightly with the oil, if using. Wrap it in clingfilm or place in a bowl covered with a damp cloth.

  4. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This resting time allows the gluten to relax, which makes the dough easier to work with and gives the noodles a better texture.

  5. After resting, lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle or oval about 5mm/⅛in thick. You don’t need a perfect shape. Lightly flour the surface of the dough to prevent sticking during cutting.

  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Carefully hold the sheet of dough in one hand over the pot, being wary of the hot steam, and use kitchen scissors to snip strips of dough directly into the boiling water. The strips can be short or long, thick or thin, depending on your preference. Irregularity is part of the charm.

  7. Boil the noodles for 2–4 minutes, depending on their thickness. They will expand a bit in size and float as they near doneness. Taste one to check for a pleasantly chewy, bouncy texture. Drain the noodles and rinse briefly under warm water if you plan to toss them with sauce, or use them in a cold dish.

  8. To make the pork zha jiang sauce, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the pork mince and break it up with your spatula. Cook until it browns and starts to crisp in places, around 5–7 minutes.

  9. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce. Let the pastes toast slightly for a minute to bring out their flavour.

  10. Add the soy sauces, sugar, and 100ml/3½fl oz water. Season with vinegar and salt to taste. Stir everything together and reduce the heat. Let it simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the pork. If it gets too dry, add a splash more water.

  11. Toss most of the pork sauce with the scissor cut noodles, reserving some to go on top.

  12. To serve, divide the noodles between bowls. Spoon over the remaining pork sauce and place the pak choy on the side. Top with the cucumber, spring onion, chilli oil and sesame seeds.