Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles Adventure

I put on sunglasses when the large buffet-style pans arrived at the table, not because of the light but the heat. This was my first experience going all-in on Sichuan cuisine. Two of the main courses swam in red oil piled high with vibrant chili peppers.

Protective eyewear was a must.

Our friends Dan and Carol had brought us to a Sichuan restaurant for lunch in the Portland area in the Before Times. Mostly I was excited, but honestly also slightly scared.

Guillaume’s higher tolerance for hot foods, forged in Southern California and Santa Fe, boosted my own over time. Although there was that one meal accidentally made with hot roasted chiles. The burning was unbearable.

Sichuan heat didn’t feel like that. It had a rounder flavor that was almost floral. And numbness. Wonderful numbness. I was hooked. After returning home to Colorado, we searched for Sichuan restaurants. Then everything hit the fan with the pandemic.

A couple things took me from tasting this delicious cuisine to attempting to make a dish at home. We were nearly out of jasmine rice so Guillaume planned a trip to the closest big Asian market. Cook’s Illustrated arrived with a tempting recipe for dan dan mian — Sichuan noodles with chili sauce and pork. We got the grocery list ready.

Only Guillaume couldn’t locate Sichuan chili powder or the preserved mustard greens (ya cai), but a cashier did help him find whole Sichuan peppercorns. The recipe suggested subbing Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) for the chili powder, which we had, and adding more soy sauce in place of the ya cai.

Not having a wok was a disadvantage. Hot pork fat splattered out of the large straight-sided pan. Some hit near my eye. Argh! Really should have worn safety glasses.

The end result was incredibly tasty, but the tingly sauce is the star.

Although we enjoyed the pork, we try to eat meat sparingly. Meat-free versions of dan dan noodles typically call for mushrooms, which seems like a bit much. While researching alternatives, I considered mapo tofu, but that’s a different dish that includes beef.

According to a Michelin Guide feature about the origins of dan dan noodles, it started as street food that was customized over time. I felt better about experimenting with the recipe. The variant we found is for “dry” noodles rather than the soup version.

Turns out that, with enough seasoning, tofu works really well in place of the pork. A little smoked maple syrup is good, too. When we ran out of bok choy, we went with roasted Brussels sprouts instead. Yum. This dish has a lot of flexibility.

Some notes about technique and ingredients: If you have a wok, please follow the Cook’s Illustrated instructions. Many American grocery store chains have hoisin sauce, some carry gochugaru, and a few do sell Sichuan peppercorns. The peppercorns are also sold online if you have trouble finding them locally. A bottle of black vinegar is worth purchasing. We add it to dipping sauces for dumplings and savory pancakes.

Dan Dan Noodles
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes 4 servings

Sauce:
¼ C. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. gochugaru red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Chinese black vinegar
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
1½ Tbsp. tahini

Noodles:
8 oz. ground pork OR 14 – 16 oz. extra firm tofu
2 tsp. dry sherry
2 tsp. soy sauce
8 oz. baby bok choy OR a green vegetable of your choice
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp. fresh ginger purée
1 lb. fresh Chinese wheat noodles OR 12 – 14 oz. dried lo mein noodles
2 fresh scallions
½ tsp. smoked maple syrup (for tofu, optional)
Salt for seasoning

Tools: Spice grinder, fine-mesh strainer, slotted spoon.

Add ¼ cup vegetable oil to a large nonstick pan along with the pepper flakes and cinnamon. Measure out and grind Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder until as fine as possible. Sift them through the fine-mesh strainer into the pan. Heat over low for 10 minutes.

If using tofu, wrap it in paper towels and press for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons black vinegar, 2 teaspoons hoisin, and 1½ tablespoons of tahini. It’s okay to just add the liquid part of the tahini.

Carefully scrape heated spicy oil into this mixing bowl using a plastic spoon or spatula. If you’re using low-sodium soy sauce, add a sprinkle of salt and mix the sauce with a fork. Set the pan aside without washing or wiping it.

Mince the garlic. Add that to a small bowl along with the ginger. Slice the scallions thin at an angle and add them to the bowl with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Trim the base of each bok choy, and then cut in half lengthwise along the core. Rinse them well and set aside.

For tofu: Unwrap the tofu and dice into ¼-inch cubes. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sherry, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon smoked maple syrup, if using. Add the diced tofu and gently coat using your hands. Sprinkle with some salt.

Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in the empty nonstick pan over medium-high until shimmering. Add the tofu in a single layer and brown it evenly. Off-heat, stir in the ginger-garlic mixture. Lower the heat and continue to cook the tofu until the garlic is fragrant. Taste it and add more salt if needed. Set pan aside.

For pork: Add the pork, sherry, and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce to a medium mixing bowl and combine well using your hands.

Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in the empty nonstick pan over medium-high until shimmering. Use a large wooden spoon to press it into a thin layer across the surface of the pan. Then break meat into smaller pieces with the edge of the spoon, stirring frequently, until the pork is cooked completely, about 5 minutes, turning heat down slightly if it gets too splattery.

Off-heat, add the ginger-garlic mixture to the pork and stir, continuing to cook, for a minute or so, returning to the heat if needed.

The rest: In a large pot bring water to boil. Keeping the heat level on high, add the bok choy and cook until stems are crisp-tender, about 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer the vegetables to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the directions until they are nearly tender (around 3 minutes for packaged fresh). Drain noodles and rinse under hot running water, tossing with tongs, for a few seconds. Drain the noodles well. Rewarm pork or tofu.

To serve, mix the sauce with a fork. Spoon a quarter of it into the base of an individual bowl. Add a portion of noodles followed by the pork or tofu, and top with bok choy or another veggie of choice. Repeat with the other bowls.

Leftover sauce can be stored in a glass jar at room temperature for a couple days, and then in the fridge after that. The other components should be refrigerated separately. Rinse any leftover noodles in hot water to serve again.