Dan Dan Noodles

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried wheat noodles
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons preserved Sichuan vegetable (ya cai), chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons chile oil
• 4 tablespoons tahini or Chinese sesame paste
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 4 tablespoons reserved noodle cooking water
• 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Method

1. 1

   Bring a 6-quart saucepan of water to a boil for the noodles.

   10:00 · Water to boil
2. 2

   In a small bowl, whisk together the chile oil, tahini, soy sauce, black vinegar, and ground Sichuan peppercorns to make the sauce. Divide evenly among four serving bowls.

3. 3

   Heat the vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Brown pork
4. 4

   Add the garlic, ginger, and preserved Sichuan vegetable to the skillet and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Stir-fry aromatics
5. 5

   Stir in the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the liquid reduces slightly and coats the pork, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

   2:00 · Simmer pork mixture
6. 6

   Cook the noodles in the boiling water according to package directions until tender but chewy, 4 to 6 minutes. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the cooking water, then drain.

   4:00 · Cook noodles
7. 7

   Whisk 1 tablespoon of reserved noodle water into the sauce in each bowl to loosen it slightly.

8. 8

   Divide the noodles among the bowls, placing them on top of the sauce. Top with the pork mixture, scallions, and chopped peanuts. Toss well at the table before eating.