Chili Crisp Noodles
Before You Begin
- ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- ⅓ cup unsweetened natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
- ¼ cup chili crisp, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced to paste
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 pound Chinese wheat noodles
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 pound baby bok choy, stalks sliced thin crosswise, greens cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Grind ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns using mortar and pestle until finely ground; transfer to medium bowl.
- Whisk in ⅓ cup unsweetened natural peanut butter and ⅓ cup soy sauce until fully incorporated.
- Whisk in 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar until combined. Add ¼ cup chili crisp, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger and whisk to combine; set aside. (Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin out sauce if needed. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 8 ounces ground pork and cook until browned, breaking up meat into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add thinly sliced bok choy stalks and thinly sliced scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Stir in coarsely chopped bok choy greens, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon sugar, stirring to coat pork and bok choy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until bok choy greens are wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Add 1 pound fresh Chinese wheat noodles to now-boiling water; reduce heat to maintain very gentle simmer; and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender (center of noodles should be firm with slightly opaque dot), 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain noodles very well in colander and rinse with running water. Drain well.
- Transfer noodles to bowl with ¾ cup sauce, tossing to coat.
- To serve, divide noodles among individual serving bowls. Top with pork mixture, then sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve with remaining chili crisp sauce and extra chili crisp, mixing each bowl well before eating.
We highly recommend using LAOGANMA Spicy Chili Crisp in this recipe. If using other brands, try to find a neutral one that has onion or garlic for crunch but does not include fermented black beans. You can swap traditional peanut butter here; the sauce will be smoother and taste slightly less nutty. We prefer the chewy texture of fresh noodles that are about ⅛ inch thick, but if they are unavailable, substitute 8 ounces of dried Chinese wheat noodles or spaghetti and increase the cooking time to 6 to 10 minutes. A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste. A mortar and pestle is the best tool for grinding a small amount of Sichuan peppercorns. If you only have a spice grinder, grind a larger amount and measure out a heaping ¼ teaspoon for this recipe.
