Sichuan Pork Noodles
Sichuan Pork Noodles is a noodle dish made with knife-cut noodles and ground pork cooked with doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, creating a savory, slightly spicy sauce.
Equipment
- heavy-bottomed pan or wok
- pot
- spatula or tongs
- knife and cutting board
- measuring spoons
- strainer or colander
Ingredients
- 200g knife-cut noodles or any noodles of your choice
- 200g lean ground pork
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 thumb ginger minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- rice vinegar optional
For the sauce:
- 1-1½ tsp doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
- 2 tbsp honey adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- green onions chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the sauce and aromatics. In a small bowl, stir together the honey and dark soy sauce until smooth, then set it aside. Mince 4 cloves of garlic and 1 thumb of ginger. Chop your green onions, keeping the white parts and the green tops separate.
- Boil the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook your knife-cut noodles according to the package instructions. Before draining them thoroughly, reserve about half a cup of the noodle cooking water to help loosen up the sauce later. Once drained, toss the noodles with the sesame oil to prevent sticking and set them aside.
- Brown the pork. Heat up your wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground pork directly to the dry pan, breaking it apart into small pieces with a spatula, and cook in its own fat until it is no longer pink (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Sauté the aromatics. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and the white parts of the green onions to the pan with the browned pork. Stir-fry everything together until fragrant.
- Fry the doubanjiang. Add 1 to 1½ teaspoons of doubanjiang directly into the pork and aromatic mixture. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds to a minute until the paste deeply coats the meat and the oil turns red.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, using your spatula to scrape up any flavorful, browned bits stuck to the bottom of the wok. Let it simmer for 30 seconds so the alcohol cooks off.
- Simmer the sauce. Pour your honey and soy sauce mixture into the wok. Stir well to combine it completely with the pork. Let it simmer on low for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and glosses over the meat.
- Toss and finish. Add the cooked knife-cut noodles into the wok. Gently toss everything together over low heat until the noodles are fully coated. If desired, stir in a tiny splash of rice vinegar right at the end to balance the sweetness of the honey.
- Garnish and serve. Divide the noodles into bowls and finish with the chopped green onion tops and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.