Dan Dan Noodles

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Photo: Bryan Gardner
Prep Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
2

Making chili oil from scratch is easy and adds a delicious complex flavor to this dish, but you can use regular hot chili oil instead in a pinch.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt

  • 8 ounces fresh noodles, preferably ramen-style

  • 1 small bunch (4 ounces) dark leafy greens, such as spinach, mustard greens or tatsoi

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

  • ¼ cup safflower oil

  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger (from a 2-inch piece)

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

  • ¼ cup minced scallions

  • ¼ cup Chinese cooking wine

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons tahini, well stirred

  • ¾ cup chicken stock

  • Szechuan Chili Oil, chopped roasted peanuts, and scallion greens, for serving

Directions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Add greens 1 minute before the noodles are ready. Drain, rinse under cool water, and drain again. Divide noodles and greens between 2 bowls.

  2. Mix pork with five-spice powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil over high in a large skillet. Add pork in 1 layer and fry, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until crisped and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and scallions and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in wine, soy sauce, and tahini, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add chicken stock. Cook until thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Divide pork mixture evenly between the bowls. Drizzle generously with chili oil and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Mix thoroughly before eating.

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