Dan Dan Noodles

Ingredients

• •1 lb fresh wheat noodles (or thin dried round noodles)
• •8 oz ground pork
• •2 tbsp preserved mustard greens (sui mi ya cai)
• •3 tbsp light soy sauce, divided
• •2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (or tahini)
• •2 tbsp chili oil, plus the sediment
• •1 tbsp black vinegar
• •1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil
• •4 scallions, chopped
• •Chopped peanuts, for garnish

Steps

1. 1.Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat, add ground pork, and stir-fry, breaking it into small crispy bits, until deeply browned, about 5-6 minutes.
2. 2.Add the preserved mustard greens and half the garlic to the pork and stir-fry another minute, then set aside.
3. 3.Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan for 30 seconds until fragrant, then grind - freshly ground peppercorns lose their numbing punch within days, so grind just before using.
4. 4.For the sauce, whisk the sesame paste with a splash of warm water to loosen it, then combine with the remaining soy sauce, chili oil and its sediment, black vinegar, remaining garlic, and ground peppercorns in the bottom of each serving bowl.
5. 5.Cook the noodles in boiling water until just tender, then use a ladle of the starchy noodle water to loosen the sauce in each bowl before draining the noodles.
6. 6.