In my journal a few days ago, I wrote about "Stewed Bean Noodles". Then, a friend saw it and said that he had been away from his hometown for many years and missed the braised noodles that his mother made when he was a child. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it and couldn’t buy it. He asked me if I could tell me the detailed method.

What this wandering friend misses more than braised noodles is his distant hometown.

I think that the relationship between a person and his hometown is probably the relationship between a child and his mother. There is a natural affection from the beginning. Therefore, even if you are at the end of the world, even if ten or twenty years pass, your bloodline will always be connected.

Perhaps, inadvertently, those things that have been hidden deep in my heart will emerge before my eyes - the mountains and rivers of my hometown, my childhood friends, the snowy streets, the sunset, my father's Love, mother's tenderness...

This kind of homesickness that has long been dissolved in the blood, this secret and rich secret, is probably the spiritual foundation and spirit of every person who is far away from their homeland. It's a common problem.

I seem to have digressed, stop it, today I am going to talk about braised noodles.

Let’s stop talking and talk about braised noodles.

Braised noodles, as a special pasta snack, originated in the Song Dynasty and were popular in Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan and other places. Ordinarily, it can be regarded as a delicacy with a long history.

I usually like to read prose, especially prose about food. However, neither Wang Zengqi, Liang Shiqiu, Lin Yutang, nor Cai Lam ever mentioned this braised noodles in their articles about food. Probably because it is too common and homely to write anything new, those famous writers are too lazy to waste pen and ink on it.

Braised noodles are indeed the most common and homely type of noodles. A handful of noodles, a piece of pork belly, some side dishes, simmered in a big pot, the meal comes out in one pot, including meat, vegetables and noodles, saving trouble, time and nutrition.

Of course, different places have their own practices. But the ingredients are roughly the same. The main ingredient is noodles, and the ingredients are usually pork and beans, but they can also be mixed with bean sprouts, celery, etc. You can also add tomatoes, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, etc. to it as you like, it's also delicious.

I am from Shandong, so I will talk about my typical method of braised beans and noodles.

Let’s talk about braised noodles first. For noodles, you need to buy thin, wet noodles, either round or flat. It can also be dry noodles. My mother prefers to use dry noodles to stew. She told me the method, but I still can't figure it out. The key is that I haven't heard it and am unwilling to learn. I always feel that it is not as delicious as wet noodles. Of course you can roll it yourself, but whether you buy it or roll it by hand, dry or wet, it must be the thinner kind, because the thinner the noodles, the better the flavor. It is said that Zhao Shuli, the yam and egg pie writer, likes braised noodles the most. Mrs. Zhao was able to make the hardest noodles and cut the thinnest noodles, and was good at braised noodles.

The meat for braised noodles must be pork belly. Pure lean meat tastes too raw and not fragrant. I don’t know if mutton is used in other places. Anyway, I haven’t eaten mutton since I was a child. How far does it go to not eat? Once, my neighbor used my knife to cut mutton, but her knife was blunt and could not cut it. Then, I never used that knife again. Maybe it was a psychological trick, but even after washing the knife a hundred times, I still felt it smelled like mutton.

Needless to say, beans for braised noodles, just buy fresh beans, wash them, cut them into sections and set aside.

Noodle stew methods and steps:

1. Prepare the ingredients. Noodles, pork belly, beans, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, chopped green onion, shredded ginger, minced garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, etc.

2? Steam the noodles in one pot over water, pour oil, peppercorns, and star anise into another pot and fry until fragrant. Add the meat slices and chopped green onion and ginger shreds into the pot at the same time, add light soy sauce, and some cooking wine. Remove the fishy smell and stir-fry over low heat until the fat in the meat slices is removed, so that the meat slices are not greasy when eaten, and the excess fat can also moisten the beans and noodles.

When some people simmer noodles, they omit the step of steaming the noodles and simmer the noodles directly in the pot. In fact, use a steamer to steam the noodles for about ten minutes to steam out the water in the noodles. After a while, the noodles will have a smooth and chewy texture.

Otherwise, if you simmer it directly, the moisture will easily increase and it will become sticky.

What needs to be noted in this step is that before steaming, the noodles should be pulled into small pieces by hand, then shaken up and spread evenly on the drawer. This will prevent the noodles from sticking, and in our words, they won’t be “clumpy”.

3? When the meat is almost cooked, pour the beans into the pot and continue to stir-fry. Let the beans absorb some of the fat so they taste better.

4? Next, put salt in the wok, add dark soy sauce to adjust the color, and add water. The amount of water should be added slightly more. In addition to simmering the beans, some should be reserved just for the noodles.

The key word for this step is "add water". This is the most difficult part of the whole braised noodles. There is less water, the beans at the bottom of the pot are all mushy, and the noodles on top are still raw. Don't add too much, otherwise it will become boiled noodles.

So how much water should be added? It can only be said to be an appropriate amount and can be adjusted as appropriate.

The most common words in Chinese food recipes are "appropriate amount" and "a little". Unlike baked goods, all ingredients are measured in grams. Therefore, baked goods may seem difficult, but they are actually very easy. You just need to follow the instructions. I was obsessed with baked goods for a while and even had a dream to open a dessert shop. I have made a lot of desserts, and I have developed the habit of weighing the dough before making steamed buns, pies, etc. This way, the finished products are consistent in size and very beautiful.

Many people say that just add water until the beans are almost covered with water, but the question is, how many beans should be added? Some people like to eat more vegetables and use more beans when making noodles. Some people don't like to eat more vegetables and use less beans. Therefore, the most standard answer to how much water to add is "appropriate amount".

5? At this time, the beans are about 70% cooked, and the noodles are also about 78% cooked. Use chopsticks to break up the noodles, put them into the beans pot, and stir evenly. When the noodles have absorbed a large part of the soup in the pot, move the noodles back to the upper level of the pot, spread the beans and a small amount of soup on the bottom, cover the lid, and simmer for a few more minutes until the noodles have completely absorbed the soup.

What needs to be noted in this step is that after the noodles are put into the pot and stirred evenly, be sure to lift all the noodles to the top, cover the lid, and simmer over low heat. Be sure not to overturn the layer of beans on the bottom and noodles on top. Otherwise, as soon as the noodles touch the bottom of the pot and the water evaporates, they will become mushy.

Another thing to note is, "simmer for a few more minutes." It's hard to know exactly how many minutes it is. At this time, it's best not to leave. If you hear the sound of "stinging, simmering" coming from the dry water, it's basically You can turn off the fire.

6? After turning off the heat, sprinkle with minced garlic, stir the noodles and vegetables evenly, and it is ready.

The noodles stewed in this way have the aroma of meat, noodles, vegetables, and garlic. Various aromas are intertwined together. They are fragrant but not greasy, loose, soft, chewy, and silky. Silky smooth and full of flavor.

Finally, make egg drop soup, which goes perfectly with the braised noodles.

This braised noodles does not seem to be a skill that can be learned in one go. It requires constant attempts and adjustments. But if you have talent and a high level of understanding, you can do it right the first time. As for the ratio of noodles, vegetables, water, etc., there is actually no need to worry. If you want something harder, add less water; if you want something softer, add more water. If you like vegetables, add more; if you don’t like vegetables, add less. Everything is based on your own taste and feeling. Anyway, it’s the same as writing an article. Sometimes you need to be flexible and use it freely.

Some people say that Henan’s braised noodles are the most famous, while others say that Shanxi’s braised noodles are the most delicious. After all, it must be the one made by my mother that tastes the best. When I was a child, my favorite was the braised beans and noodles made by my mother. However, my skill in making noodles now far surpasses hers.

In fact, many times, a food represents not only a kind of food, but also a taste, a memory, and a feeling. These tastes, memories and feelings have been mixed with emotions and beliefs such as hometown, fellow villagers, nostalgia, tenacity and so on for a long time, making people recall and miss them.

Therefore, no matter how many delicacies we have eaten, we still miss the taste of some ordinary food in our hometown, because the most simple and ordinary food has temperature, and the smoke and smoke contained in it is The taste of home is a kind of warmth and strength.