Dandan Noodles
Most nights, dinner is predetermined – by recipe testing, leftovers from a photo shoot or radio column or some such, or some transformation of ingredients that need using up. Over the past decade or so we haven’t had the opportunity to fall into a sort of mealtime routine – or rut. We don’t really have our usuals. On tired nights, we wind up eating eggs and toast or spaghetti, which is often just the thing.
Tonight, after a late night and long day of cousins and playing in the river and birthday cupcakes, the only thing I wanted to make was a call for takeout – but after eating close to my weight in ice cream that wasn’t surviving the hot afternoon in a cooler, I didn’t want to get sucked into multiple dishes. What I did want was tangy-sweet and noodle-y, and so with ground pork in the freezer and a plethora of noodles avalanching from the cupboard, I made a batch of dandan noodles.
Dandan -or dan dan- noodles are a kind of Chinese street food, a bowl of smooth or tangled noodles with a spicy sauce that sometimes contains ground pork, sometimes not, sometimes contains peanut butter or tahini, sometimes not. It always contains lots of chopped green onions – a good thing to make in the spring, when scallions and their cousins abound. It traditionally calls for Sichuan peppercorns, but dry red chili flakes or chili sauce/sambal oeleck will do just fine for some heat. Ditto the noodles: most recipes call for Asian wheat noodles, thick or thin – and a packet of ramen will do just fine in a pinch – but you can also get away with using dry linguine or spaghetti.
Dandan Noodles
AuthorJulieIn a large skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the pork in a drizzle of oil, breaking it up with a spoon until it's no longer pink. Add the garlic, ginger and half the onions and cook until the pork is turning dark and crispy.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar, chicken stock, peanut butter and peppercorns or chili flakes and cook, stirring, until the peanut butter melts and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more soy sauce if it needs salt, or vinegar (or a squeeze of lime) if it needs more acid. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick.
Cook or soak the noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and serve topped with the pork mixture, the remaining green onions, and a small handful of peanuts and cilantro.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the pork in a drizzle of oil, breaking it up with a spoon until it's no longer pink. Add the garlic, ginger and half the onions and cook until the pork is turning dark and crispy.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar, chicken stock, peanut butter and peppercorns or chili flakes and cook, stirring, until the peanut butter melts and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more soy sauce if it needs salt, or vinegar (or a squeeze of lime) if it needs more acid. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick.
Cook or soak the noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and serve topped with the pork mixture, the remaining green onions, and a small handful of peanuts and cilantro.
Serves 4.
Top it with julienned cucumber – that is key.
Good idea!
I made this for my husband and sister last night (the kids were not up for the experiment!) and they gave it an enthusiastic two thumbs up. I used thick udon noodles so may try it again with a thinner noodle. THanks!
Awesome – so glad to hear it!!
Love this recipe, we made it for the second time tonight, thanks Julie!
So happy to hear it!!
This is exactly what I feel like for dinner
Me too, almost every day…
I love dan dan noodles, pretty much for the same reasons you do, and have been collecting various recipes online. I’m always amazed at how many differences there can be between recipes–some call for douban chili paste and others don’t but I personally love the ones that do. I taught my kids here in a cooking class in bush Alaska and they have become a class favorite.