Name: Smoked Brisket "Dan Dan" Noodles
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H55M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H35M0.000S
Yield: 15 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup canola oil; 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns; 1 teaspoon whole cloves; 2 to 3 pods star anise, broken; 2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 shallot, quartered; 1/2 cinnamon stick; 3/4 cup chile flakes (only from Asian dried chiles, not standard); 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste); 1/2 cup tamari soy sauce; 2 tablespoons ground Sichuan peppercorns; 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder; 1 tablespoon sugar; Salt; 1/2 cup mustard-based barbecue sauce; 1/4 cup hoisin sauce; 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or sherry wine; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 2 to 3 pounds cooked and cooled brisket, diced; Oil, for cooking; 15 portions fresh udon noodles, or noodles of your choice (see Cook’s Note); Sliced scallions, sesame seeds and crunchy fried garlic, optional, for garnish

Directions

Special equipment:

a deep-fry thermometer

For the chile oil: Heat the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, star anise, garlic, shallot and cinnamon stick in a pot to 250 degrees F for 45 minutes. Put the chile flakes, sesame seeds and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Strain the hot oil into the bowl. Add salt and stir. Let sit 1 hour, then refrigerate.
For the dan dan sauce: Combine the tahini, tamari, Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
For the marinade: Combine the barbecue sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine and dark soy sauce in a large bowl. Toss the brisket in the marinade to coat. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or longer.
Heat a pot of water to a boil. Heat up a sauté pan with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté 3 to 4 ounces brisket on high heat. Drop the udon noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer to the brisket pan with a little of the noodle water. Add 2 tablespoons dan dan sauce (add a splash of water if needed). Toss and mix together, reducing the sauce a bit. Add the scallions and sesame seeds. Add the crunchy fried garlic, if using. Repeat to make additional servings.