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–+ servings
A skillet filled with stir-fried dan dan noodles mixed with ground meat, green vegetables, and garnished with chopped green onions. A pair of chopsticks is resting on the skillet, ready to pick up the food. A light-colored napkin is placed beside the skillet.

Spicy Dan Dan Noodles with Ground Pork

Fast, fresh, and addictively spicy, this Sichuan noodle dish incorporates tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Although this dish is normally made with Chinese-style wheat noodles, fat, chewy udon noodles are a fantastic variation.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6 servings
Calories 774 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the noodles

  • 2 teaspoons cooking oil
  • ¾ pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
  • ¾ teaspoon five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 ounces udon noodles dried , cooked according to the package directions (can sub dried ramen noodles — not instant)
  • 2 cups spinach fresh, or other leafy greens
  • 4 pieces green onions thinly sliced

For the sauce

  • 2/3 cup chili oil
  • 6 tablespoons sesame paste Chinese or Japanese
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoons ginger fresh, grated
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns ground
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon coriander ground

Instructions
 

  • In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until the meat is well browned. Add the hoisin sauce, wine, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and salt. Stir to mix well and then remove from the heat.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the last minute of cooking, add the bok choy. When the cooking is complete, remove the bok choy. Save 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the noodles and rinse under warm water.
  • In a small bowl, make the sauce. Mix together the chili oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, ground Szechuan peppercorns, black pepper, and coriander. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the reserved noodle cooking water.
  • Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Add one piece of bok choy to each bowl. Spoon the sauce over the noodles and top with the pork. Garnish with the green onions and serve.

Notes

  • You can substitute dry sherry, dry white wine, or sake for the Shaoxing wine.
  • You can substitute a combo of tahini and sesame oil for the Chinese sesame paste. Or substitute no-sugar-added peanut butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 774kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 27gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 2355mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 968IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mg
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