Authentic Dan Dan noodles Recipe Sichuan, China

Name: Dan Dan noodles
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: CHILI OIL; 90g Sichuan Erjingtiao dried chilis; 60g Chaotianjiao heaven facing peppers; ~2 cups (480 ml) Sichuan caiziyou (or peanut/sunflower oil as substitute); 1–2 slices ginger (optional); 3 star anise (optional); 2–3 dried bay leaves (optional); 1 stick cinnamon or cassia (optional); 1 pod black cardamom, slightly crushed (optional); 8–10 cloves (optional); 1 tsp fennel or caraway seed (optional); 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn (optional); 1 tbsp zicao or Hungarian sweet paprika (optional, for color); DAN DAN NOODLES; 400g shengmian (thin Chinese fresh noodles – or Japanese somen, or substitute); ½ tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns (about 15–20 peppercorns); 2 tbsp chili oil (plus more to serve); 1 tbsp sesame paste; 3 tbsp light soy sauce (used in soy-sugar-vinegar mix); 1.5 tbsp sugar (used in soy-sugar-vinegar mix); 1 tsp dark Chinese vinegar (used in soy-sugar-vinegar mix); ½ tsp MSG; ~3 tbsp Sichuan yacai (preserved mustard greens); 100g (3.5 oz) pork mince (around 70/30 fat ratio); ¼ tsp salt (to marinate pork); ½ tsp sugar (to marinate pork); ½ tsp cornstarch (to marinate pork); ½ tsp sesame oil (to marinate pork); ½ tsp liaojiu (to marinate pork); ½ tbsp liaojiu (to flavor topping)