TEXAS STYLE DAN DAN NOODLES

A few years ago I traveled to Mexico City where I had tacos al pastor. It was the only item served at the taco shop where I ate them. There was no kitchen, only a huge rotating spit of fire-roasted pastor meat, called a trompo, placed at the shop’s entrance. After ordering, a man with a large knife cut the crispy charred meat which then cascaded down the trompo like a pastor avalanche down a mountain of meat. I’ve had pastor many times before and after this, but none have ever been so memorable in flavor or experience.

I believe that certain foods taste best when eating them at their place of origin: pastor in Mexico City, deep dish pizza in Chicago, cheesesteak in Philadelphia, etc… Authenticity of food doesn’t only apply to how and what is used to prepare it, but also the experience of what’s around you when eating. If I were whisked away to China today to eat dan dan noodles, I envision that my experience would be similar to eating pastor in Mexico. Nothing could be more authentic than eating dan dan noodles from a street vendor on a bustling street in the Sichuan province, while passerby converse in Chinese. But alas, no one has bought me a plane ticket so I’ve resorted to eating dan dan noodles in my kitchen here in Texas. But instead of trying to replicate an authentic experience I’ll never achieve, I decided to recreate the dish as my own Texas Style Dan Dan Noodles.

This is Texasian cuisine at it’s finest. Delicious smoked meat and barbecue sauce pair well with salty soy sauce. Pickled jalapeños seamlessly replace the heat from chili oil typical of this dish. I’ve created the recipe with both brisket and smoked sausage but even pulled pork or other barbecued meats would work. If you’ve never cooked with these Asian ingredients before, there are a few things you should know. Dark and light soy sauce have slightly different flavor profiles.

If you can’t find dark soy, which is slightly thicker, sweeter and less salty, you can use regular soy sauce instead. For more about soy sauce check out Serious Eats. Sichuan peppercorns (sometimes referred to as prickly ash) are an amazing spice that cause a tingling, numbing effect on your mouth. I’m totally addicted and love these on spicy Chinese food. You can buy them online if there’s no local Asian grocery store. If you can’t find shoaxing wine, use dry sherry instead. Finally, Chinese sesame paste is similar to tahini except that it is toasted, while tahini is not. It’s simple enough to make yourself and will last for months in the fridge.