Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Szechuan Noodles)

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh/dried wheat noodles/spaghetti (I used spaghetti)
• Fresh bean sprouts (rinse with clean water and drain)
• 1 cup of cooking oil (neutral tasting. I used grapeseeds oil)
• 1/4 cup or red chili flakes
• 1 tsp of Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 8 oz minced pork
• 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cloves garlic (grated)
• 1-inch knob fresh ginger (grated)
• 2 Tbsp sesame paste or peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of chili oil
• 1/4 cup liquid from cooking noodle/pasta
• 1 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns (roasted in dry pan until fragrant and ground)
• 1 stalk green onions (finely chopped)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from whattocooktoday.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions:
Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for about 1 minute. I still like it slightly crunchy. Set aside Making chili oil:
Place the chili flakes, and peppercorns in a glass/heat-proof jar with lid. Heat up 1 cup of cooking oil until really hot but not smoking and very carefully pour this into the jar. It will sizzle and that's normal. Let the oil cool down completely before storing. You will see the color of the oil gradually changing to red color. It can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time Cooking the meat:
Combine the meat with the rest of the ingredients and let it marinade for about 15 minutes
Heat a wok or frying pan until stonking hot. Add the oil and stir fry the pork and break it into small pieces with spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes until the pork is crispy and dry, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside Making the sauce:
Place the garlic, ginger, sesame paste or peanut butter, soy sauce, chili oil, and liquid from cooking the noodle/pasta in a large serving bowl. Whisk to mix everything. Set aside Putting it together:
Cook the noodles according to the directions and save about ½ cup of the liquid before pouring it off. Cook the noodles/pasta to al dente. Drain the noodles well (but do not rinse the noodles/pasta) and put into the bowl with the sauce. Top with the meat toppings and bean sprouts and toss the noodles to make sure the sauce is coating the noodles and pork. Garnish with sprinkle of Szechuan peppercorns and green onions

Instructions: