Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Mian (担担面)

Delicious fresh noodles rest in a creamy spicy sesame sauce and are topped with crispy bits of minced pork belly and fragrant sliced scallion in this iconic Sichuan tossed noodle dish.

Dan Dan Noodles are one of the most famous Sichuan noodle dishes from the capital city of Chengdu and nearby Zigong City. When researching and developing this recipe, I honestly was a bit intimidated – not by the complexity of the dish, but by the innumerable variations. There are so many versions of Dan Dan Noodles just within Chengdu. So, which one best represents the quintessential Dan Dan Noodles?

First, let’s talk about the Noodles. Technically, any type of round or flat alkaline Noodle could be used for Dan Dan Noodles such as Gua-Mian (挂面), Ramen (拉面), and Thick Noodles (粗面). The Noodles used in Chengdu, however, tend to be Medium to Thick Round Noodles. Fresh Noodles are ideal but dried Noodles are also acceptable. When plating the Noodles, some restaurants will lay the Noodles down with a back-and-forth motion to line up the Noodles. Others will wrap the Noodles around their hands and set the Noodles in the bowl in a bird’s nest shape.

The Noodles are always added atop a spicy, creamy Sesame Sauce that tends to be rather standard among noodle shops with only slight variations in the Sauces and Seasonings. This can be clearly seen with the amount of Chili Oil and Sesame Paste used. Some versions use a lot of Chili Oil, others use a lot of Sesame Paste, and just a few use no Sesame Paste at all. Most versions will add a tiny bit of lard, either melted or solid, to give the Sauce a silky-smooth texture. Yibin Yacai is often added to the Sauce, though it can be added as a Topping. Scallion, which is normally added as a Topping, can be added to the Sauce instead. However, the most noticeable variations to the Sauce are those which make the Dan Dan Noodles soupy with either a spoonful of Noodle cooking water or Advanced Stock (高汤).

The simple Meat Sauce (肉酱) is one of the most iconic features of Dan Dan Noodles. Typically, the Meat Sauce is made as in the following recipe by stir-frying minced Pork until crispy. It can be cooked a bit more tender or seasoned like either Minced Pork Sauce (臊子) or Mixed Sauce (杂酱). The Minced Pork can also be stir-fried directly with the Yibin Yacai as done with Yibin Pork Sauce (宜宾臊子). Obviously, if using Yibin Pork Sauce, there is no need to add Yacai to the Spicy Sesame Sauce. Crushed Peanuts and sliced Scallion are commonly added atop the Meat Sauce, though Crispy Fried Edamame (油酥黄豆), Tender Soybeans (黄豆浇头), and blanched leafy greens aren’t uncommon – especially among soupier versions.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

150 grams Pork Belly (OR 2 Tbsp. Meat Sauce per Bowl)

Peanut Oil

2 Tbsp. Yibin Yacai (About 1 Tbsp. per Bowl)

Garnishes
2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 Tbsp. roasted Peanuts

Spicy Sesame Sauce (Per Bowl)
1 Tbsp. Sesame Paste
1 Tbsp. Chili Oil with Chili Flakes
1 Tbsp. Garlic Slurry
1 tsp. Pork Oil (From Cooking the Pork Belly)
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper

400 grams Fresh Alkaline Noodles (200 grams Per Bowl)

1/4 tsp. Sesame Oil

Directions

1.) Wash the Pork Belly and pat it dry with paper towels. Slice the Pork Belly as thin as possible, cut the slices intro strips, and cut the strips into squares. Use a cleaver in each hand to mince the Pork Belly until it resembles ground pork. Set the minced Pork aside in a bowl.

2.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. Add the minced Pork and stir-fry the Pork for a few minutes until crispy. Pour the cooked Pork topping into a bowl along with its Pork Oil.

(This Pork Oil will be used later to add flavor and texture to the Spicy Sesame Sauce, so don’t strain/ discard it).

3.) While the wok is still hot, lightly coat the surface with more Peanut Oil and carefully add the Yibin Yacai. Stir-fry the Yacai for about 30 seconds to evaporate all excess moisture from the chopped leaves. Then, set aside the Yacai in a bowl.

(To prevent moisture in the leaves from popping and splattering, pull the wok away from heat for a few seconds before adding the Yacai. Return the wok to heat and slowly bring the temperature back to medium-high while stir-frying rapidly with a pushing motion).

4.) Finely slice the Small Scallion stalks and crush the roasted Peanuts, setting them aside into separate bowls to be used as Garnishes.

(Both the finely sliced Scallion and the roasted Peanuts can be added directly to the Spicy Sesame Sauce instead of being used as a topping. Lightly crushed or whole Crispy Fried Peanuts 油酥花生 can be used in place of roasted Peanuts as is done in some noodle shops).

5.) Add the Spicy Sesame Sauce ingredients (Chili Oil, Garlic Slurry, Salt, Sugar, and Sichuan Pepper) to each noodle bowl and optionally combine them together until emulsified.

(The Spicy Sesame Sauce truly is the one component with the most variation. While some online recipes will use a little cooking Oil or Sesame Oil to thin the Sesame Paste, Pork Oil – either melted or in the form of Lard – is truly the best and most authentic option. It not only smooths the Sauce but also adds a touch of meaty richness. The Garlic Slurry is often more of a pulverized paste than the typical watery Garlic Sauce. Some versions will reduce the Salt and combine it with MSG and/ or Chicken Bouillon Powder. Salt can be omitted almost entirely and replaced with a tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce or Aromatic Soy Sauce 芳香酱油. Finally, an extra teaspoon of Sugar and a tablespoon of Chinkiang Black Vinegar can be added for a tangier Multi-Flavored Sauce 怪味酱).

6.) Fill a large pot with water and heat on high until boiling. Add both servings of the Noodles and fully cook them. Drain the Noodles and immediately plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Once cool, drain the Noodles, shake off any excess water, and divide the Noodles among the two serving bowls, placing them on top of the Sauce.

(The Noodles can be plated a couple different ways. Wearing gloves, you can pick up the Noodles, wrap them around your hand, and set them in the bowl like a bird nest. You can also use chopsticks to grasp one end of the Noodles and gently lay them in the bowl with a back-and-forth motion to line the Noodles up in the same direction).

7.) Highly Optional: A ladleful of Noodle cooking water or Advanced Stock (高汤) can be added to the Noodles. This will change the type of Noodles from a Tossed Noodle Dish (拌面) to more of Soup Noodle Dish (汤面).

8.) Drizzle a little Sesame Oil over each serving of Noodles and top each bowl with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the crispy minced Pork to suit one’s preference.

9.) Garnish each serving of Noodles first with the crushed Peanuts and then with plenty of sliced Scallion. Serve the delicious Dan Dan Noodles immediately and allow guests to mix the Noodles thoroughly before eating them.

 

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