I first encountered hand cut Chinese-style noodles on a trip to Hong Kong. A friend took me to the horse races and on our way home, we stopped for a quick bowl of noodles. Thick, chewy and glazed with a rich dark sauce dotted with pork, we devoured them within seconds. Although I had no idea how they were made, now that we were acquainted, I knew we would never be apart.
Since that time, I have eaten them every which way. Favorite preparations include
ja jang myun (noodles with pork in black bean sauce) and
dan dan mein (noodles in a sesame sauce).
Making them at home is pretty straightforward. With a little practice you can get from start to finish in about 45 minutes. Unlike Italian pasta, you don't need fancy equipment - just a large knife (they don't call it hand cut for nothing).
The recipe calls for water that is both boiling and cold. The boiling water partially cooks the flour rendering a smooth and pliable dough. The cold water cools the dough enough to begin kneading.
To a bowl, add the flour, salt and sesame oil (if using). Add the boiling water and give a quick stir. Add the cold water and stir again until the dough comes together and forms a shaggy ball.
The water is added and the dough has come together nicely.
Upend onto a well-floured surface and begin kneading the dough. Continue adding flour to the surface until the dough has both soaked up another 1/2 to 1 cup flour and become elastic enough not to tear when you fold it back on itself. This should take around 15 minutes.
The dough starts out tough and does not stretch cleanly.
After 15 minutes of kneading, the gluten in the flour has expanded and the dough now stretches smoothly. With the extra flour it has soaked up, the dough is now quite stiff.
Cover and allow to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. After resting, the dough will feel soft and pliable and be easy to roll out. Now might be a good time to consider starting on the sauce.
Once the dough has rested, place a large pot of water on to boil while you proceed with forming the noodles.
Gently press the dough into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough until it is 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick, depending on how beefy you want the noodles. Bear in mind that once cooked, your noodles will expand and be twice as thick.
Starting to roll the dough. Try to keep the thickness of the dough even as you roll, as this will lead to better-looking noodles.
To maintain straight edges and clean corners, tug on the dough with your hands from time to time, stretching it into shape.
Lightly flour the surface of the dough and fold it in half. Working quickly, slice the dough into strips , 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick, starting at one end of the dough and working toward the other.
Today, I am cutting the dough into noodles about 1/8 inch thick.
After three or four cuts, check the cut noodles to see if they unfurl without sticking. If they don't, knead in some more flour.
Continue to cut the dough, pausing every 10 cuts or so to unfurl the noodles to their full extent. To do this, I find it best to grab a bunch of noodle folds and shake them vigorously in my hands until they naturally fall open on their own.
Most of the dough has been cut and I enlisted some help to unfurl the noodles as I worked so it was done in record time.
Once all the noodles have been cut and the water is boiling, add the noodles to the water. Gently stir to separate them before placing the lid back on the pot. Return the water to a boil.
The noodles are going into the pot.
Cook for two to three minutes until firm and slightly chewy. Drain the noodles in a colander and add immediately to a sauce of your choice.
Presto. It's done. Now it's time to eat!