Sichuan dan dan noodles

Name: Sichuan dan dan noodles
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 13 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 200 g ground pork (50% fat / 50% lean); 250 g fresh Chinese noodles (wheat and egg); 5 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil; 2 pickled chilies; 2 tbsp dried soybeans; 4 tbsp pickled mustard greens; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp fresh ginger; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp rice wine (Shaoxing); 1 pinch black pepper; 1 scallion; 4 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp black sesame oil; 2 tbsp chili oil; 2 tbsp black rice vinegar; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 1 pinch white pepper; 1 pinch sugar; 1 pinch salt; 1 ladle noodle water (6 tbsp); 1/2 tsp garlic (minced)

The people of Sichuan eat these noodles in small bowls as a snack. You know they're successful when the four following elements describe the experience: numbing (MA), spicy (LA), umami (XIAN) and aromatic (XIANG). You could also more simply say "It deliciously blows your head off".

Mode cuisine

Prep

1 h

Cook

15 min

Total

13 h 15

Serves

Ingredients

For:

servings

200 g ground pork (50% fat / 50% lean)
250 g fresh Chinese noodles (wheat and egg)
5 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil
2 pickled chilies
2 tbsp dried soybeans
4 tbsp pickled mustard greens
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine (Shaoxing)
1 pinch black pepper
1 scallion

Seasoning

4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black sesame oil
2 tbsp chili oil
2 tbsp black rice vinegar
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt
1 ladle noodle water (6 tbsp)
0,5 tsp garlic (minced)

Method

Preparation

The day before:

1Make the Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil (see recipe in notes).
2Make the chili oil (see recipe in notes).
3Soak the soybeans in water.

<strong>The day of: </strong>

4Dry the soybeans and fry them over medium/low heat until golden (approximately 20 minutes). Once cooked they will be crunchy like peanuts.
5Chop the pickled mustard greens. Set aside.
6Finely mince the scallions. Set aside.
7Cut the pickled chilies into 1 cm slices. Set aside.
8Mince the garlic and ginger. Set aside.
9Finish chopping the meat with a knife so it's finer.
10Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to smell fragrant. Grind to a powder with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Meat

11In a pan over high heat, add Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil and wait until it starts to smoke. Lower to medium heat, add the pickled chili, garlic and minced ginger. Stir. Add the meat and cook.
12If you have meat with 50% fat, cook until it becomes brown and crispy. If your meat is leaner, it's better to stop cooking when there's no more pink color to prevent the meat from becoming rubbery.
13Add the pickled mustard greens, rice wine, soy sauce, a pinch of black pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set the meat aside and discard the fat.

<strong>Assembly</strong>

14In a bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, black rice vinegar, ground Sichuan peppercorns, 1 pinch of white pepper, sugar and salt. Also 1/2 tsp minced garlic. Stir.
15Cook the noodles according to package directions.
16Top up the seasoning with 1 ladle of noodle water. Taste. Adjust seasoning.
17Divide the seasoning sauce among 4 bowls, place the noodles on top.
18Add the meat and garnish with crispy soybeans (or peanuts) and minced scallions. Serve quickly.

Notes

You'll notice in the photo that I replaced the crunchy soybeans with roasted peanuts this time (I didn't have time to soak them). You can also simplify the recipe by replacing the Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil with vegetable oil and Sichuan peppercorn powder, the pickled chilies with dried chilies, and you can even buy jarred chili oil from your Asian grocer. Without being identical, the taste will still be very good. A more modern variation of the seasoning sauce is to replace one tbsp of chili oil with one tbsp of sesame paste. The sauce will be less spicy while remaining very flavorful. Pickled mustard greens are a typical Sichuan ingredient. They come in plastic packaging or glass jars and can be bought in most Asian grocery stores. See pickled chili recipe. See Sichuan peppercorn-infused oil recipe. See chili oil recipe. In addition to the oil, take care to scoop up some of the chili powder at the bottom of the jar.