Dan Dan Noodles
Thin wheat noodles tossed dry in a concentrated sauce of chili oil, ground Sichuan peppercorn, and Chinese sesame paste, topped with dry-fried pork mince and preserved mustard greens, not the soupy, peanut-butter-based version common abroad. Named for the bamboo shoulder pole, dan dan, that late-19th-century Sichuan street vendors balanced across their shoulders, carrying noodles in one basket and a small stove in the other as they walked the streets calling out to customers.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy, Sesame. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 400g fresh thin wheat noodles
- 200g ground pork
- 3 tbsp Sichuan chili oil, with sediment
- 1 tsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorn
- 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, thinned with 2 tbsp warm water
- 3 tbsp yacai (Yibin preserved mustard greens), minced
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp chicken or pork stock, to loosen the sauce
Steps
- Stir-fry the ground pork in 2 tbsp oil over high heat until dry and crumbly, breaking it into fine bits. Add half the yacai in the last minute, then set aside.
- In each serving bowl, combine the sesame paste, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ground Sichuan peppercorn, and 2 tbsp chili oil.
- Boil the noodles until just tender, then drain, reserving a splash of cooking water, and add directly to the sauce bowls with 1 tbsp cooking water each, tossing to coat.
- Top with the fried pork, remaining yacai, and scallions. Drizzle extra chili oil to taste.
- Serve immediately, tossed at the table.