Dan Dan Noodles with Pork and Squid

One of the most famous Szechuan street foods is known for having a spicy, smoky, mouth-numbing, big flavor. Dan dan noodles are made with fresh noodles, either thin or wide, chili oil, Szechuan peppercorn, sesame paste, savory ground pork, and vegetables.

In China, there’s a wide variety of regional iterations for dan dan noodles, some being soupier and some saucier, but they are all numbing and spicy. Toppings can vary including pork, tofu, seafood, herbs, peanuts, and more! Everyone has their own version of what dan dan noodles should be, so we want to give you a springboard to create your perfect version.

‘Dan dan noodles’ directly translates to “noodles carried on a pole” which refers to a long bamboo pole called a dan dan that was once used by street vendors in Chengdu. The vendors would tie baskets at the end of the pole and fill them each with sauce, noodles, and pork topping to make the noodles on the fly. When they made a sale, they could stop quickly to make a batch and keep moving. Now they are enjoyed by people across China and beyond!

This isn’t the most authentic ideation of dan dan noodles, but it is full of flavor and comes together faster than you’d think. The balance of umami, smoky, nutty, sour, spicy, and numbing is one of the best parts of the dish. Also, make sure you have some good chili crisp oil, whether it's store-bought or homemade.

The foundation of the dish is the spicy and aromatic sauce, which is spooned into the bottom of a bowl and then layered with all the other ingredients. It’s important that the base sauce is flavorful and balanced so everything else can shine.

Made from Chinese sesame paste, soy sauce, and Chianklang vinegar, it combines nuttiness with savoriness, saltiness, sourness, and caramel notes. Then comes along aromatic minced garlic, sliced green onion greens, honey for sweetness, and some toasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns.

The Szechuan peppercorns are a special ingredient in this dish, as it adds a layer of

spiciness but also a tingly, mouth-numbing

attribute that is loved by many but might be weird the first time you taste it. If it’s your first time using the peppercorns, start light and you can always add more!

Once the sauce is mixed up, you can prep the crispy pork and squid topping for the dan dan noodles. This isn’t the most traditional combination, as it’s usually just ground pork, but it’s going for a surf-and-turf vibe.

Heat some oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok until lightly smoking. You’ll add the ground pork, and flatten it into a thin layer for extra contact against the pan. You want as much browning as possible to get the pork extra crispy and flavorful. After a few minutes, flip and stir well to break the pork up into small pieces.

Now that all the toppings are done, you just need to cook the noodles and greens! Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the instructions. Use tongs or a spider to remove onto a large bowl and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. In the same boiling water, blanch the leafy greens for about 1 minute, rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

Finally, it’s time to assemble! In the bottom of each bowl, add ¼ cup of the dan dan sauce and a spoonful of chili crisp oil (I usually add a lot of chili oil). Add some noodles and use chopsticks to mix the sauce with the noodles. Add a few spoonfuls of the pork and squid mixture and blanched leafy greens.

Garnish the beautiful bowls with cilantro, extra Szechuan peppercorn, and some more chili crisp oil. You’re probably just a few ingredients away from enjoying noodles just like these. Get out to your local Asian Grocer and dig in and enjoy the goodness!

Dan Dan Noodles with Pork and Squid

This popular street food is worth all the hype and a trip to your favorite Asian grocery store! Wide noodles are tossed with an aromatic and spicy sauce and topped with crispy pork, chewy squid, chili crisp, fresh herbs, and mouth-numbing Szechuan peppercorn.

Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess

Forge To Table Knives

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 (makes 1-½ cup sauce)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground, plus more, to taste

• ½ cup Chinese sesame paste or unsweetened natural peanut butter

• ½ cup soy sauce

• ⅓ cup Chinkiang vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely minced (~4 each cloves)

• 5 each green onion, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 pound lean ground pork

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

• 3 tablespoons fermented black bean sauce

• 3 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 8 ounces sliced squid or squid tentacles

• 21 ounces fresh Dan Dan noodles (or fresh wide fettuccine)

• 8 ounces of leafy greens, such as baby bok choy, spinach, choy sum, sliced

• Chili crisp or chili oil, to taste (homemade preferred)

• Micro cilantro or chopped cilantro, to taste

Directions:

1. PEPPERCORNS. To toast the Szechuan peppercorns, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of peppercorns and let toast, swirling constantly, until aromatic like hops (no burnt aroma). Remove from the pan, grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and use as directed.

2. SAUCE. In a medium bowl, whisk the sesame paste (or peanut butter) and soy sauce until fully incorporated. Mix in the Chinkiang vinegar until combined, then mix in the minced garlic, sliced green onion greens, honey, and 1 teaspoon of ground Szechuan peppercorn. Set aside.

3. PORK TOPPING. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork and flatten across the pan for extra contact on the hot pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until the surface is browned, flip, and stir to break up the pork.

4. FINISH PORK. Reduce heat to medium and add the minced ginger, sliced green onion whites, fermented black bean sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, and sugar. Cook and continue to break the pork into small pieces. Once half the liquid has evaporated, add the squid and cook until all the squid is cooked through and the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

5. NOODLES & GREENS. Boil the noodles according to the instructions. Use tongs or a spider to remove onto a large bowl. In the same boiling water, blanch the leafy greens for about 1 minute, rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

6. ASSEMBLE. In the bottom of each bowl, add ¼ cup of the sesame/peanut sauce. Add a spoonful of chili crisp, or more, to taste. Add some noodles and use chopsticks to mix well to coat the noodles in the sauce. Top with a few spoonfuls of pork mixture and blanched leafy greens. Garnish with micro cilantro/chopped cilantro, optional extra ground Szechuan peppercorn, and another spoonful of chili crisp. Enjoy warm or cold!

Chef’s Notes:

• The noodles used can be thin or wide, but we highly recommend using fresh noodles instead of dried ones, if possible.

If you liked this recipe, use Discount Code: TESTKITCHEN at the Forge To Table Shop checkout to support more amazing recipe content!