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Dan Dan Noodles (擔擔麵)

Category: Noodles, Snack
Region: Sichuan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Shanghai style noodles
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce (生抽)
  • 4 teaspoons Chinkiang black vinegar
  • scallion chopped for garnish
  • cilantro chopped for garnish

Pork and Ya Cai Topping

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 ounces ground pork
  • 4 ounces Sichuan preserved greens (芽菜) ya cai or pickled mustard stems (榨菜 zha cai)
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
  • salt

Sesame Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons sesame paste
  • 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Chili Oil

  • 5 tablespoons chili oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns

Instructions

  • You will need to obtain a few authentic Sichuan ingredients in order to recreate this noodles dish properly. Sichuan peppercorns, either whole or powdered, are essential for the spicy flavor. If you get the whole peppercorns then toast them slightly in a dry wok or frying pan before grinding them in a spice grinder. Ya cai or Sichuan preserved greens is also an important component of this dish but they can be replaced with Sichuan pickled mustard stems, which are more readily available in Chinatown markets.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the sesame sauce and set aside. Mix all the ingredients for the chili oil and set aside. In a wok heat the vegetable oil until just beginning to smoke then add the ground pork. Stir-fry the pork until just cooked then add the rest of the topping ingredients and continue to stir-fry until the liquid completely evaporate. Set the topping aside.
  • Divide the sauce by putting one quarter of the sesame sauce mixture and chili oil into each of four bowls. Add one tablespoon of soy sauce and one teaspoon of Chinkiang black vinegar to each bowl.
  • In a large 8-quart stockpot bring four quarts of water to boil. Cook the noodles in the boiling water for about three minutes or until the noodles are just al dente. Divide the noodles into four portions and put them in each of the bowls. Top the noodles with one quarter of the pork and Sichuan preserved greens topping, and garnish with chopped cilantro and scallion. Serve immediately.