These Chinese noodles are excitingly spicy, and have several layers of taste that just won’t quit. First there is the chili laden peppery sesame sauce, then there is the exotic Chinese Five Spice accented ground pork, and atop of them are lo mien style noodles, perfect to be dragged through the sauce and chili oil. Then they are topped with spinach leaves and crunchy scallions. This popular street food from the Chinese province of Sichuan, Dan Dan noodles are absolutely addicting. If you like spicy, here is your ticket to outrageously delicious!
Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients:
—10 ounces of Chinese Noodles
The Spiced Ground Pork:
—1 pound Ground Pork
—2 tablespoons Vegetable or Olive Oil
—3 tablespoons minced Garlic
—4 tablespoons minced fresh Ginger
—2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
—3 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
—1 teaspoon Sugar
—1 teaspoon Salt
The Sauce:
—1 cup of Vegetable Bullion
—2 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar
—2 tablespoons Chili Oil
—2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
—4 tablespoons Chinese Sesame Paste
—2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
—2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
—1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
—1 teaspoon Ground Chinese Black Pepper
The Garnish:
—2 diced Scallions
—8 sprigs of Chinese Spinach
—2 additional tablespoons Chili Oil
NOTE: The Chinese black vinegar, oyster sauce, Chinese sesame paste, sesame oil, chili oil, and Chinese spinach are all common items at any Asian grocery store. The Chinese spinach I am referring to has thick, very tasty stems that are crunchy. If you can’t find Chinese spinach, any kind of leaf spinach works just as well. The Chinese Five Spice, which is in the pork, is a great blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, and black pepper. It perfectly elevates meat dishes to the next level.
Directions:
The trick to this dish, is to have the sauce, the pork and its spices, all ready to go before you start cooking. To accomplish this, you need to have the pork, the sauce, and the boiling noodle water all going at the same time. Also you want to have your garnishes—the spinach and the green onions—all ready at the same time too.
The Pork:
In a frying pan, add the minced garlic and ginger, in the vegetable or olive oil. When the garlic and onions begin to cook, add the ground pork and brown it. When it is browned and has a crumbled texture, add the rice wine vinegar, Chinese five spice, sugar, and salt. Let it simmer together about three minutes, and set it aside.
The Sauce:
In a saucepan add the vegetable bullion, black vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sesame paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Turn the pan onto medium heat. While constantly stirring for about five minutes, all of a sudden the sauce goes from being a bunch of clumpy “oil and water” based ingredients into a smooth and consistently silky sauce that is exotically spicy. After it has come together, you can keep the sauce warm at very low heat, but don’t let it burn.
The Noodles:
In the meantime, start a pot of water boiling. When it has come to a full boil, add the noodles, cook them for 5 minutes and drain them.
The Garnishes:
Have the diced scallions and Chinese spinach ready to use as toppings. Also have additional chili oil ready too.
When everything is ready, you can assemble this in separate serving bowls, or in a large serving bowl. The most favored way to serve this is to put several spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the bowl, followed by a couple of spoonfuls of the ground pork. Add the noodles on top. Add at least an additional teaspoon if spicy hot chili oil to the edge of the plate of noodles and sauce. Draw a circle of chili oil around the bowl of noodles. This will give a pleasing orange oily glow to the edge of the dish. Add the Chinese spinach atop the hot noodles, and sprinkle the mound of noodles, sauce and pork with chopped scallions. It should now look fabulous and delicious!
To eat this slightly interactive dish you can mix the sauce, pork, noodles and spinach together, or simply drag the noodles up from the bottom. Also, the heat of the noodles and sauce will wilt the spinach. If you want it more completely done, put hot noodles on them in the bowl and they will soften immediately.
This spicy Sichuan dish is wonderful as the appetizer or a side dish for a Chinese meal (or any meal!), or as a main course on its own. You will find Dan Dan Noodles, irresistibly spicy, whether you have them hot or cold. I have always loved spicy Chinese food, and I am crazy about them!
Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients:
—10 ounces of Chinese Noodles
The Spiced Ground Pork:
—1 pound Ground Pork
—2 tablespoons Vegetable or Olive Oil
—3 tablespoons minced Garlic
—4 tablespoons minced fresh Ginger
—2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
—3 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
—1 teaspoon Sugar
—1 teaspoon Salt
The Sauce:
—1 cup of Vegetable Bullion
—2 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar
—2 tablespoons Chili Oil
—2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
—4 tablespoons Chinese Sesame Paste
—2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
—2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
—1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
—1 teaspoon Ground Chinese Black Pepper
The Garnish:
—2 diced Scallions
—8 sprigs of Chinese Spinach
—2 additional tablespoons Chili Oil
NOTE: The Chinese black vinegar, oyster sauce, Chinese sesame paste, sesame oil, chili oil, and Chinese spinach are all common items at any Asian grocery store. The Chinese spinach I am referring to has thick, very tasty stems that are crunchy. If you can’t find Chinese spinach, any kind of leaf spinach works just as well. The Chinese Five Spice, which is in the pork, is a great blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, and black pepper. It perfectly elevates meat dishes to the next level.
Directions:
The trick to this dish, is to have the sauce, the pork and its spices, all ready to go before you start cooking. To accomplish this, you need to have the pork, the sauce, and the boiling noodle water all going at the same time. Also you want to have your garnishes—the spinach and the green onions—all ready at the same time too.
The Pork:
In a frying pan, add the minced garlic and ginger, in the vegetable or olive oil. When the garlic and onions begin to cook, add the ground pork and brown it. When it is browned and has a crumbled texture, add the rice wine vinegar, Chinese five spice, sugar, and salt. Let it simmer together about three minutes, and set it aside.
The Sauce:
In a saucepan add the vegetable bullion, black vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sesame paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Turn the pan onto medium heat. While constantly stirring for about five minutes, all of a sudden the sauce goes from being a bunch of clumpy “oil and water” based ingredients into a smooth and consistently silky sauce that is exotically spicy. After it has come together, you can keep the sauce warm at very low heat, but don’t let it burn.
The Noodles:
In the meantime, start a pot of water boiling. When it has come to a full boil, add the noodles, cook them for 5 minutes and drain them.
The Garnishes:
Have the diced scallions and Chinese spinach ready to use as toppings. Also have additional chili oil ready too.
When everything is ready, you can assemble this in separate serving bowls, or in a large serving bowl. The most favored way to serve this is to put several spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the bowl, followed by a couple of spoonfuls of the ground pork. Add the noodles on top. Add at least an additional teaspoon if spicy hot chili oil to the edge of the plate of noodles and sauce. Draw a circle of chili oil around the bowl of noodles. This will give a pleasing orange oily glow to the edge of the dish. Add the Chinese spinach atop the hot noodles, and sprinkle the mound of noodles, sauce and pork with chopped scallions. It should now look fabulous and delicious!
To eat this slightly interactive dish you can mix the sauce, pork, noodles and spinach together, or simply drag the noodles up from the bottom. Also, the heat of the noodles and sauce will wilt the spinach. If you want it more completely done, put hot noodles on them in the bowl and they will soften immediately.
This spicy Sichuan dish is wonderful as the appetizer or a side dish for a Chinese meal (or any meal!), or as a main course on its own. You will find Dan Dan Noodles, irresistibly spicy, whether you have them hot or cold. I have always loved spicy Chinese food, and I am crazy about them!