Dan Dan Noodles Recipe
Dan Dan Noodles Recipe
Dan Dan noodles is a classic Szechuan noodle dish that is characteristically spicy. Dan dan means pole; once, the street vendor shouldered a bamboo pole, each end dangling one basket of slim noodles and another of pepper-spiked red-brown sauce. This recipe was inspired by Dooby's restaurant, Baltimore and originally published in The Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
60
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
Servings
4
servings
Total time: 1.15 hours
Ingredients
- 2 2 bunches baby bok choy
- salt
- sesame oil
- 1/2 pound fresh or dried chinese noodles
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoon sambal
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (or other) vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground star anise
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground sichuan (or black) pepper
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pound boneless pork sirloin, cubed
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chili oil
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
Directions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add bok choy; cook until leaves wilt bright green and stems turn tender, 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, pull out bok choy; rinse under cool water. Sprinkle with a little salt; drizzle with a little sesame oil.
- Add 1/2 pound noodles to the hot water; cook until tender but firm. Scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain noodles; rinse under cool water. Toss with a little salt and sesame oil.
- Blend together ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons sunflower seed butter, 2 tablespoons sambal, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon ground star anise, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon pepper and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Toss pork cubes in the food processor. Pulse several times.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a wide heavy skillet. Add pork; cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 2 cloves chopped garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Pour in sauce; cook, 1 minute. Add ¼ cup reserved water (or more) to achieve a thin sauce that isn't sticky. Pull pan off heat.
- Pour 1 tablespoon chili oil into each of 4 shallow bowls. (Use less for those who are spice averse.) Add pork with sauce to each bowl. Scatter on sesame seeds. Heap noodles on top of sauce. Settle a few bok choy stems alongside. Sprinkle on green onions. Let each guest swirl and dig in.