Dandanmian

This is such a deceptively simple dish to make, provided you have a well-supplied larder. For the ragu, I browned ground Nicky Farms wild boar (pork would work, obviously) with a little bit of sesame oil, a few cloves of minced garlic, finely diced zha cai (pickled mustard stems) along with pickled Chinese mustard greens (both homemade), Lao Gan Ma Chili CrispΒ (available at Chinese grocery stores and larger supermarkets; you can also use regular chile oil), a pinch of homemade five-spice and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Then I added a cup or so of smoky pork stock (chicken stock would work too), a glug each of Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, and simmered for about 15 minutes. Lastly I added sliced scallions and I served it over cooked spaghetti (don’t @ me — the Chinese invented the shit) with a little bok choy for health.