By now, it’s become painfully clear that Toronto just can’t get it together on the whole “good street food” front, particularly after the dismal failure of the city’s beleaguered “a la carte” program. Anyone who’s been to pretty much any city other than Toronto can relate. Those who’ve ventured to other continents with less stringent regulations come home lamenting the lack of dudes with carts slinging dumplings or arepas. Even Vancouver has, at the very least, fancy Japanese hot dogs.
While we can appreciate the local restaurant community’s sporadic attempts at kick-starting Toronto’s street food scene, let’s face it: we’re primarily a hot dog kind of town. And while I love a good hot dog just as much as the next guy, please, Toronto: my kingdom for a Korean taco truck. What’s the holdup? I need a fusion taco, all up in my face, immediately. But until the food truck revolution actually gets some real momentum, we may be stuck just going to restaurants to get our share of exotic street food dishes — or, better yet, making them at home.
This spicy Sichuan noodle dish is a popular snack food sold from carts in China and is an amazingly comforting dish, particularly when cold weather sets in. Known as Dan Dan noodles, the “Dan Dan” comes from the dan dan poles that were once carried across the vendor’s back, with a bucket balanced on each side, one for noodles, the other for sauce. Recipes vary, but the key ingredients are pretty simple: crispy ground pork in a savoury sesame-based sauce, spiked with chili oil and ladled over fresh, slippery, chewy, wheat flour noodles. Think of it kind of as an Asian-style spaghetti Bolognese.
You do need a few ingredients from your local Asian food store to make this properly, but once they’re in your pantry this is a very quick and easy dish to prepare. I do recommend finding the preserved mustard greens; they often come in a plastic vacuum-sealed package that will keep in your fridge for months. If you don’t have sesame paste, tahini or peanut butter will also do the trick just as well. While not traditional, I also like to throw in some chopped up green vegetables near the end, just to balance the meal out and provide some additional texture (bok choy is my preference but you could try spinach or kale as well). The Sichuan peppercorns are crucial in finishing off the dish with an aromatic, mouth-numbing heat. Finally, the fresh Shanghai noodles can be found in the refrigerated section of the store. If you want to stock up, they can be frozen in their packaging for a few months and defrosted overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours before using.
Dan Dan Noodles
Serves 3 to 4
2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork
¼ cup chopped preserved mustard greens or preserved chili turnip
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 scallions, chopped, white and green parts divided
1 lb fresh Shanghai-style noodles
4 cups chopped bok choy
½ a cucumber, peeled and chopped into matchsticks (optional)
For the sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp chili oil
2 tbsp Asian sesame paste, tahini or smooth peanut butter
1. Lightly toast the peppercorns in a small pan until fragrant on medium heat (avoid burning). Set aside and cool, then crush in a mortar and pestle or with a spice grinder.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat a couple tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat. Combine the pork, preserved vegetable and soy sauce, then add to wok and brown evenly. Cook until the pork begins to take on a deep brown colour and starts to crisp up. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the wok and turn to high heat. Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients and stirring well.
4. When oil begins to smoke, add the ginger, garlic and white parts of the scallion, tossing quickly to avoid burning. Add sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Return pork to wok and stir well, keeping on low heat. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen with a bit of water or stock.
5. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add the noodles, then allow water to boil again. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, covered (or follow the cooking directions on the package). Drain noodles.
6. About 5 minutes before serving, add vegetables to pork and stir until wilted and just crunch-tender. Divide noodles into serving bowls, then ladle pork and vegetable mixture over top. Garnish with a sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorns, remaining scallions, and a small handful of cucumber matchsticks.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.