Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)

Method10 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Before heating the wok, have the ginger and garlic minced, Ya Cai minced, scallion chopped, peanuts coarsely crushed and choy sum washed. Mix the 4 oz ground pork with its separate 2 teaspoons light soy sauce and 2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine, loosening the mince well. Keep it chilled while preparing the other ingredients.

   Uses 4 oz ground pork · 2 tsp light soy sauce for the pork · 2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine

2. 2

   Step 2: Put the 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil and crushed skinless peanuts (2 tbsp) into a COLD wok. Fry over low heat until the peanuts turn golden brown. Lift them into a separate bowl, leaving the frying oil in the wok.

   Uses 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil · 2 tbsp skinless peanuts, coarsely crushed

3. 3

   Step 3: In the oil left in the wok from step 2, stir-fry the marinated pork from step 1 with the minced ginger, minced Ya Cai (1 tbsp) and chili flakes (1 tsp). Break up the mince and cook until fully cooked (71°C) and the topping is dry and fragrant. Transfer the cooked topping to a clean bowl and set aside briefly for assembly.

   Uses Frying oil left in the wok after lifting the peanuts · marinated ground pork · 1 tsp ginger, minced · 1 tbsp ready Ya Cai preserved mustard greens, minced · 1 tsp chili flakes, or to taste

   
4. 4

   Step 4: In a separate bowl, stir the 1½ tablespoons Chinese sesame paste with the 1½ tablespoons sauce-thinning water until smooth and semi-runny.

   Uses 1½ tbsp ready Chinese toasted sesame paste · 1½ tbsp water for thinning the sesame paste

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the minced garlic (2), separate 2 tablespoons sauce soy sauce, black rice vinegar (1 tbsp), ground Sichuan pepper (½ tsp), ready Chinese chili oil (2 tbsp) and pinch of sugar into the thinned sesame paste from step 4. Mix well and keep the sauce ready.

   Uses thinned sesame paste · 2 garlic cloves, minced · 2 tbsp light soy sauce for the sauce · 1 tbsp black rice vinegar · ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper · 2 tbsp ready Chinese chili oil, or to taste · 1 pinch sugar

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Bring a large pot of noodle cooking water to a full boil. Add the 200 g thin dried wheat noodles and cook according to their package.

   Uses 200 g thin dried wheat noodles (100 g per serving) · Water, enough to cook the noodles and blanch the greens

7. 7

   Step 7: Near the end of cooking the noodles in step 6, add the washed handful of choy sum to the same pot. Cook until the noodles are ready and the greens are tender.

   Uses noodles in cooking water · 1 handful choy sum, washed

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Drain the cooked noodles and greens from step 7, discarding the cooking water. Briefly rinse them under cold drinking water to remove excess surface starch, then drain well.

   Uses cooked noodles and greens in their pot · Drinking water, enough to briefly rinse the cooked noodles and greens

9. 9

   Step 9: Divide all the prepared sauce from step 5 between two serving bowls. Add the drained noodles and greens from step 8, dividing them between the bowls.

   Uses prepared Dan Dan sauce · Cooked noodles and greens, separate from discarded cooking and rinsing water

10. 10

    Step 10: Divide the cooked pork topping from step 3 and fried peanuts reserved in step 2 over the two sauced noodle bowls from step 9. Garnish with the chopped scallion (1), stir each bowl thoroughly and serve immediately. Refrigerate any cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

    Uses two sauced noodle bowls · Cooked pork topping lifted into its clean bowl · Fried peanuts lifted from the wok into their separate bowl · 1 scallion stalk, finely chopped