Dan Dan Zucchini Noodles with Sichuan Sesame Pork

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

All the numbing, nutty, chili-slicked punch of Chengdu dan dan mian, rebuilt on salted zucchini noodles instead of wheat. Crumbly, deeply browned pork and pickled mustard stem sit on a pool of toasted sesame paste loosened with soy, black vinegar and chili oil, so every twirl comes up glossy and rich. It's a 40-minute weeknight bowl that eats like takeout but keeps carbs in single digits per serving.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb medium zucchini (about 4)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt

• 1/3 cup Chinese sesame paste or unsweetened tahini
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 3 tbsp chili oil with sediment
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp granulated monk fruit-erythritol sweetener
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth, warm

• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/3 cup zha cai (Sichuan pickled mustard stem), rinsed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp five-spice powder

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Trim the zucchini and cut into noodles with a spiralizer, or slice lengthwise on a mandoline and cut into 1/4-inch ribbons. Toss with the 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in a colander set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes, tossing once, while you make everything else.
2. Whisk the sesame paste, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, black vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sweetener, grated garlic and ground Sichuan peppercorns in a small bowl. It will seize up and look pasty; drizzle in the warm chicken broth a tablespoon at a time, whisking, until it becomes a pourable sauce the texture of heavy cream. Divide among 4 shallow bowls.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the ground pork and press it into a flat layer. Let it sit undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes to build a brown crust, then break it into small crumbles and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until the pork is dry-looking, deeply browned and no longer releasing liquid.
4. Add the ginger, chopped zha cai and five-spice powder to the pork and stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and 1 tablespoon soy sauce; cook 30 to 60 seconds until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is glazed. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
5. Squeeze the drained zucchini firmly in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible — you should get out 1/2 cup or more. Wipe the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil, and set over high heat.
6. Add the zucchini noodles and stir-fry hard for 60 to 90 seconds only, just until they turn glossy and barely bend — they should stay crisp-tender and squeaky. Immediately pull them off the heat; overcooking makes them watery.
7. Pile the hot noodles onto the sauce in each bowl, top with the pork, then scatter with scallions, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve right away and instruct everyone to toss from the bottom up so the sesame sauce coats every strand.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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