Shangdang "Meat Sauce Noodles"

Shangdang "Meat Sauce Noodles"

　　Shangdang "Meat Sauce Noodles" and southeastern Shanxi "Minced Meat Noodles" are popular dishes served at local weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations, and New Year festivities, long renowned across the rural and urban areas of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan.

　　 Whether machine-made or handmade noodles, the sauce must be stir-fried meat slices—hence the name "Meat Sauce Noodles."

　　 To make the sauce for Meat Sauce Noodles, heat a wok over high heat, add lard until hot, then put in Sichuan peppercorns to season the oil before discarding them. Add sliced meat and star anise, and stir-fry. Once the meat has released most of its moisture and begins to render fat, pour in vinegar, then add scallions, ginger, garlic, and fermented flour paste, and stir-fry. Next, add soy sauce, salt, and water, then simmer over low heat for about half an hour until the meat becomes tender and soft. Skim off the floating fat, and the stir-fried meat sauce is ready. — Excerpted from "Gourmet Aroma Quest"