American Zha Jiang Mian
Ingredients: ground pork belly, American-style bacon, dried chili, garlic, salt · 60 min cook time · 700kcal · ~₩20,600
Ingredients
450g ground pork belly, 100g American-style bacon, 15g dried chili, 2cloves garlic, 0.25tsp salt, 200g canned tomatoes, 1tbsp tomato paste, 0.5onion red onion, 1tbsp peanut oil, 0.5tsp chicken bouillon powder, 2tbsp dark brown sugar, 1tbsp soy sauce, 0.5tsp ground coriander seed, 1crack black pepper, 200ml light beer, 0.5tsp MSG, 1tsp Tabasco, 0.5tbsp cornstarch, 200g spaghetti, 1serving pickled jalapeños, 1serving chopped green chilies, 1serving sour cream, 1serving chopped onion, 1serving Doritos, 1serving cheddar cheese, 1serving scallion
Instructions
1. Slice American-style bacon into a coarse grind consistency and mix with ground pork belly.
2. Soak 15g of dried chili in hot boiled water overnight. Snip the rehydrated chilies into sections, give them a little chop, and smash two cloves of garlic with 1/4 tsp of salt. Chop the garlic and salt together with the chilies until it forms a paste.
3. Heat about a tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork and bacon mixture and slowly render out the fat, stirring occasionally. After about 10 minutes, the pork should be golden brown. Transfer the pork to a clay pot.
4. In a separate pan, mix 1/2 thinly sliced red onion with 1/4 tsp of salt and a tablespoon of peanut oil. Add enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and let it cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent scorching.
5. Heat the lard in the clay pot over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of the rendered oil to the chili-garlic paste and mix well. Add the chili-garlic paste to the pot and quick-fry it. Then add a tablespoon of tomato paste and fry for a hot second until fragrant. Toss in a tablespoon of paprika and the softened onions. Mix well and fry until the oil is stained red.
6. Add 200g of crushed tomatoes, 200ml of stock, and 200ml of light beer to the pot. Bring to a light boil. Season with 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed, and a good crack of black pepper. Let it simmer over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes to evaporate moisture and continue breaking down the onions.
7. Once the mixture reaches a lava-bubbling stage, drizzle in a slurry of 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with a bit of water, bit by bit. Stir it in. Do a final seasoning with 1/2 tsp MSG, 1 tsp Tabasco, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and about 7 cracks of black pepper.
8. Boil spaghetti until al dente. Drain, jiggle to cool down, and let the steam escape.
9. In a bowl, add 1/8 tsp each of salt, MSG, sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and a good crack of black pepper. Add a tablespoon of pasta water and mix. Add the spaghetti to the bowl and mix. Smother with the prepared sauce.
10. Serve with optional toppings: pickled jalapeños, chopped green chilies, sour cream, chopped onion, Doritos, grated cheddar cheese, and chopped scallions.
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