Dan Dan Noodles
Chewy wheat noodles tossed with a spicy sesame sauce, savory seasoned pork, Sichuan pepper, and tangy ya cai for a classic Sichuan-style bowl.
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 15 min · Yield: 4 · Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried wheat noodles
- 12 ounces ground pork
- 0.5 cup ya cai, finely chopped
- 0.5 cup sesame paste
- 0.25 cup chili oil
- 0.25 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sichuan pepper, finely ground
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 4 scallions scallions, thinly sliced
Cooking instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the wheat noodles according to the package directions until just tender. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain well; do not rinse. (about 10 min) — Boiling
- While the noodles cook, whisk the sesame paste, chili oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, Sichuan pepper, garlic, and 1/2 cup reserved noodle water in a large bowl until smooth. Add more noodle water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is loose enough to coat the noodles. (about 3 min) — Room temperature
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. (about 5 min) — Medium-high heat
- Stir the ya cai into the pork and cook until heated through and slightly crisp at the edges, about 2 minutes. (about 2 min) — Medium-high heat
- Divide the sauce among four bowls. Add the hot noodles and toss until evenly coated. Top with the ya cai pork and sliced scallions; serve immediately. (about 2 min) — Hot