Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles with Spiced Pork

Place 8g sichuan peppercorns in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant and just slightly darkened. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar.

Grind the toasted peppercorns to a coarse powder. Reserve 2g for the bowl sauce and set the remainder aside for finishing.

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the neutral vegetable oil, star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and broken dried red chilies. Heat over medium-low until the oil reaches 150°C (300°F), about 8 minutes.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the toasted sichuan peppercorns. Maintain the oil at 130°C (265°F) for 5 minutes, watching carefully for any aggressive sizzling.

Remove the saucepan from heat. Allow the oil to cool to room temperature with the spices still steeping, about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, reserving the infused oil and discarding the solids.

While the oil infuses, prepare the pork topping aromatics. Finely mince the ginger and garlic. Slice the scallions thinly, keeping the white and green parts in separate piles.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chinese sesame paste, chinkiang black vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, 60ml of the strained infused chili oil, and 2g of the ground sichuan peppercorns until smooth. Set the bowl sauce aside.

If using preserved mustard greens, rinse them briefly under cold water to remove excess salt, pat dry with a clean towel, and chop finely.

Heat the wok over high heat until just smoking, about 2 minutes. Add the cold ground pork and break it apart with a spatula. Allow the pork to sear undisturbed for 90 seconds to develop a crust.

Continue breaking up the pork and stir-fry until no pink remains and the meat is crumbly with some crispy brown bits, about 4 minutes. The pork must reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F) for food safety.

Push the cooked pork to one side of the wok to clear a space in the center. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and scallion whites to the cleared space. Stir-fry the aromatics for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the pixian doubanjiang to the aromatics. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the oil in the wok turns a deep brick-red color and the paste releases its fragrance.

Mix the aromatics into the pork. Add the shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Stir to combine evenly and cook for 1 minute. Remove the wok from heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat, about 8 minutes. Add fine sea salt until the water tastes like sea water.

Add the fresh wheat noodles to the boiling salted water and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally with chopsticks to prevent sticking.

Reserve 250ml of the starchy noodle cooking water in a separate bowl for potential sauce adjustment. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse briefly under warm water to remove surface starch.

Divide the prepared bowl sauce evenly among 4 warmed serving bowls, placing about 2 tablespoons per bowl at the bottom.

Add 100ml of the hot chicken stock to each bowl and stir briskly to emulsify the sauce with the stock into a unified broth.

Divide the drained noodles among the 4 bowls, arranging them in loose nests above the emulsified sauce.

Top each bowl with one quarter of the spiced pork mixture, mounding it on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the chopped preserved mustard greens over the pork if using.

Garnish each bowl with the sliced scallion greens, crushed roasted peanuts if using, and a final drizzle of 1 tablespoon of the strained infused chili oil. Serve immediately while hot.