Sichuan Spicey (Dan Dan) Noodles

Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles

Sichuan dan dan noodles are named after the bamboo shoulder pole (dan) that street vendors use to carry their noodles and sauce through the streets. This spicy recipe is prepared with Chinese lo mein noodles, ground pork and Sichuan preserved vegetable in a tangy sauce made with black soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, chili oil and ground Sichuan peppercorns.

Sichuan preserved vegetable generally refers to "zha cai", which is made of the pickled, knobby green stems of the Sichuan mustard plant and is somewhat similar to Korean kimchi. You can make this dish without it if you don’t want to use it. In any event, I strongly recommend that you locate a local Chinese grocery since you will readily find everything that you need, the prices will be lower and generally the quality will be better because you will have multiple products to choose from.

Difficulty:

Easy

Preparation Time:

30 Minutes

Cooking Time:

30 Minutes

Ingredients:

6 Oz. of Ground Pork

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil

12 Oz. of Fresh Chinese Noodles (or 8 oz. Dried)

¼ Cup Sichuan Preserved Vegetable (zha cai)

2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon Minced Ginger Root

1 Oz. of Dry White Wine

4 Scallions cut into pea sized pieces including the green part

1/3 Cup Raw Peanuts

Sauce Mixture:

2 Tablespoons Black Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Sesame Paste or Cream Style Peanut Butter

1 Tablespoon Chinese Black Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Chili Oil

1 Teaspoon Sugar

2 Teaspoons Sesame Seed Oil

½ Teaspoon Ground Sichuan Peppercorns

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cook the noodles according to the cooking instructions (fresh noodles will take less time), rinse under cold water and drain.
2. Prepare the sauce mixture in a bowl, whisk together well and pour over the noodles.
3. Cook the peanuts until golden brown in ¼ Cup of Oil in a small saucepan. Allow them to cool and then chop finely.
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok and heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil. Add the garlic, ginger, half of the scallions and the Sichuan preserved vegetable and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add the meat and stir-fry until it is browned and no longer pink inside. De-glaze with one tablespoon of white wine.
6. Spoon the meat mixture over the noodles, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and the chopped peanuts.

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