Zha jiang mian

Julienne carrot, cabbage and cucumber; cut Chinese celery into small pieces; have bean sprouts ready, served on a side plate.

Mix the soy bean sauce and sweet soy bean sauce with a quarter cup of water until combined; have minced garlic, ginger and scallion whites ready.

Heat the wok on the highest heat 10 seconds, then turn to low and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.

Saute the pork on low heat about 3 minutes until the fat is almost melted and the meat a little golden; push it to the side.

On the lowest heat, slowly add the sauce to the fat and stir about 1 minute.

Add the garlic, scallion and ginger and mix with the pork, stirring so nothing sticks, about 5 minutes, until the oil runs clear and separate from the dark sauce, which wraps the pork but still flows.

Leave the fat in, as is traditional, or drain it off.

Boil the handmade noodles two to three minutes, tasting one after two minutes; transfer to a bowl.

Add the vegetables and a little sauce on top, mix, and add more sauce as needed; it is very salty.