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Simple Recipes for Every Day

Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan noodles in a shallow bowl with creamy pork broth and crispy pork
  • Serves: 7
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  20 min

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs fresh udon or yaki soba (or 1lb other dried asian noodles), cooked according to package instructions
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry (or Chinese rice rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar)
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp Sambal Oelek Chili Paste
  • 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Method

  1. Cook noodles according to package. Divide evenly in 4 bowls.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add pork, breaking it up into small bits, about 8 minutes. Once the pork is nearly cooked through add fresh ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  3. Stir in the soy sauce, sherry, chicken stock, peanut butter, cinnamon, ground Sichuan peppercorns, sugar and chili paste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until sauce thickens, about 5-7 mins.
  4. Spoon equal amounts of pork sauce over cooked noodles and garnish with peanuts and scallions.

Notes: Some recipes use Chinese sesame paste. This tastes nothing like tahini, use peanut butter as a sub instead! We’re using peanut butter because our favorite local Chinese restaurant does and it’s crave worthy!

Notes: How to grind your peppercorns: Either use a mortar and pestle, roughly chop with a knife, coffee grinder or simply use a pepper grinder.

If you leave the peanut butter out, it is still a wonderful dish.