Dan Dan Shirataki Noodles with Chili Pork and Sesame Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big, mouth-numbing bowl of Sichuan-style dan dan built on dry-fried shirataki noodles instead of wheat. Crumbly chili pork, a glossy sesame-chili sauce spiked with toasted Sichuan peppercorn, and wilted baby bok choy come together in about half an hour — rich, savory and completely grain-free.

Ingredients

• 4 7 oz packages shirataki noodles (fettuccine or spaghetti shape)
• 8 oz baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• kosher salt

• 1 lb ground pork (at least 20% fat)
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp crushed red chile flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn
• 1/4 tsp five-spice powder

• 1/3 cup Chinese sesame paste or tahini
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp chili oil (sugar-free)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 cup unsalted chicken broth, hot
• 1 tsp granulated monk fruit or erythritol sweetener
• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn

Instructions

1. Drain the shirataki noodles into a colander and rinse under cold running water for a full 60 seconds to wash away the packing liquid. Shake very dry and set aside.
2. Whisk the sesame paste, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sweetener and grated garlic in a bowl. It will seize up and look pasty; slowly stream in the hot chicken broth, whisking, until you have a pourable sauce about the thickness of heavy cream. Set aside.
3. Heat a large dry nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high. Add the rinsed shirataki and dry-fry, tossing every 30 seconds, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the noodles squeak, stop steaming and feel springy rather than watery. Transfer to a bowl, toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of salt, and cover.
4. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the avocado oil. Add the ground pork and press it into a flat layer. Let it sit undisturbed for 4 minutes to brown, then break it into small crumbles and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until the fat has rendered and the edges are crisp.
5. Push the pork to one side and add the ginger, garlic, chile flakes, 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn and five-spice to the rendered fat. Stir 30 seconds until fragrant, then toss with the pork, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and cook 1 minute more until the liquid disappears. Scrape the pork into a bowl and keep warm.
6. Add the bok choy to the same skillet cut side down with 3 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves are just wilted.
7. Divide the sauce among 4 warm bowls, about 1/3 cup each. Pile in the dry-fried noodles and toss right in the bowl so every strand is coated.
8. Top each bowl with the chili pork, bok choy, peanuts, scallions, cilantro and a final pinch of Sichuan peppercorn. Serve immediately and tell everyone to stir from the bottom up.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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