[Hand-Pulled Noodle Method] Exclusive Melon Shreds Wheat Cake

Wash the tender pumpkin thoroughly and remove the seeds.

Grate an appropriate amount of pumpkin, add salt, and rub until soft and water comes out.

Squeeze out the moisture, and keep the extracted juice for making the dough.

While pouring the pumpkin juice into the flour, stir with chopsticks continuously until there are no dry flour clumps left. After letting it sit for 10 minutes, knead the dough until smooth again, then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for more than two hours. There are three key points to making delicious, soft wheat cakes: the dough must be soft; the resting time should be longer; and the softness of the dough should correspond with that of the filling.

Mix the minced meat with salt and oyster sauce first.

Finely chop the scallions.

Shredded pumpkin, minced meat, chopped green onions, and mashed garlic are placed in a large bowl and mixed well. Experienced people can judge the saltiness just by smelling it.

Divide evenly into small portions and roll into balls.

The well-fermented dough is particularly soft, so add some dry flour to prevent sticking and divide the dough into small portions.

Roll it into a round piece that is thick in the middle and thin around the edges.

Place the filling on the dough sheet, and cut the edges into eight equal parts with a knife.

The well-rested dough skin has excellent elasticity. Stretch each small dough piece at the corners evenly while lifting and pinching it to the top, making sure the edges of the two pieces overlap without leaving any gaps.

Seal it tightly, then place it with the sealed side down for 10 minutes.

First, gently press down in the center with your hand, pushing outward while pressing. Then, use a maibing 'lei' (a local tool specifically for maibing; if you don't have one, use a dumpling rolling pin) to continuously change angles and 'lei' from the center outward (a dialect word meaning 'roll'). The goal is to thin out the dough at the center closure, making the maibing larger and thinner, while evenly distributing the filling to the edges. The maibing dough made by skilled hands is rolled very thin without breaking, allowing the filling to be visible through the dough.

After heating the frying pan, pour in a little cooking oil, place the raw dough of the flatbread in the pan, cover with a lid, and cook over medium-low heat. Be careful not to use too low heat; if the bread stays in the pan for too long, the moisture in the stuffed pancake will be lost, and the outer crust will become hard.

Simmer for about two to three minutes, and when the pancake changes color, brush with oil and flip it to cook for another two minutes; you can flip it several more times.

Don't rush the time; the main thing is to observe the doneness. The surface of the pancake should be golden, and it is done when it puffs up.

It's best eaten hot; the fresh, tender, and juicy filling could scald your mouth if you're not careful!