Dan Dan Noodles

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh Chinese wheat noodles
• 8 oz ground pork
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
• 1/4 cup ya cai preserved mustard greens
• 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
• 3 tbsp chili oil with sediment
• 2 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 heads baby bok choy, quartered
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

Method

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pork, breaking it into small bits, until crisp at the edges and it reaches 160°F.
2. Stir in the Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the ya cai and cook 1 minute more.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the sesame paste, chili oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, Sichuan pepper and remaining soy sauce.
4. Boil the noodles until just tender, adding the bok choy for the last minute, then drain, saving 1/2 cup of the water.
5. Loosen the sauce with a few spoonfuls of the noodle water, then divide it among bowls.
6. Top with noodles, bok choy and pork, scatter green onions and peanuts, and toss at the table.

Notes