Dan Dan Noodles

I'll work harder on my iPhone photo skills. 

My mom said she missed my blog, and I missed blogging (a little bit, not too much), so I thought maybe I'd start up again sporadically. After a blogistential crisis about having a blog named "Brooklyn Food Library" while now living in Pittsburgh, I realized it was an easy-ish fix. Change the name. Voila. Eureka.

Ironically, this is a recipe my mom probably won't like too much, but I did. I found Sichuan peppercorns at a spice market (Penzeys), and you probably can too (or you can order online from Penzeys). The original recipe called for 1 teaspoon of the peppercorns, but I thought I'd start mild, and I'm glad I did. It still packed a good punch.


Dan Dan Noodles
Adapted slightly from: Serious Eats

Ingredients

12 ounces udon noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground with a mortar and pestle
Pinch of sugar
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the udon noodles. Cook according to the instructions on package, then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water (you can also just rinse the noodles in cold water).

2. In a large skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until smoking or spitting. Add ground pork and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until the pork is partially cooked but still half pink. Add ginger and continue cooking until the pork is cooked through and starting to brown.

3. Stir in chicken stock, chili oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, and peppercorns. Season with a little sugar, then bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens, 7-10 minutes.

4. Add noodles to the skillet and toss well with the sauce. When noodles are heated through, season with salt and sugar to taste. Transfer noodles to bowls and top with peanuts and scallions.