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Tan Tan Men Recipe

Name: Nyonyas Tan Tan Men Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken stock (low-sodium); 1 cups dashi (concentrated or stock); 5 tbs sesame paste (or tahini); 2 tbs smooth peanut butter; 2 tbs soy sauce; 1 tbs mirin; 2 tbs chili oil (rayu) or chili crisp; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn oil (or toasted ground Sichuan pepper + neutral oil); 0.5 tsp dark sesame oil; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp white miso (optional, for umami); 1 tsp salt; 0.5 cups water (to adjust consistency); 1 cups ground pork (20% fat); 1 tsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 1 tsp ginger (finely grated); 1 tsp garlic (minced); 1 tbs doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste); 1 tbs soy sauce; 1 tbs shaoxing wine (or dry sherry); 0.25 cups chicken stock (or water); 1 tsp cornstarch (slurry); 2 tbsp green onions (white parts, thinly sliced); 2 servings fresh or dried ramen / Chinese wheat noodles; 2 cups bok choy (baby) or spinach; 2 units soft-boiled eggs (halved); 2 tbsp chopped green onions (greens); 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tsp crushed chili oil (for serving); 2 tbsp pickled mustard greens (optional)

Inspired by Nyonya

Time40m

Serves2

Make Tan Tan Men Recipe in just 40m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Broth / Sauce

4 cups chicken stock (low-sodium)

1 cups dashi (concentrated or stock)

5 tbs sesame paste (or tahini)

2 tbs smooth peanut butter

2 tbs Aged soy sauce

1 tbs Mirin

2 tbs chili oil (rayu) or chili crisp

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn oil (or toasted ground Sichuan pepper + neutral oil)

1/2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp white miso (optional, for umami)

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 cups water (to adjust consistency)

Meat Topping (Ground Pork)

1 cups ground pork (20% fat)

1 tsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

1 tsp ginger (finely grated)

1 tsp Garlic (minced)

1 tbs doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste)

1 tbs Aged soy sauce

1 tbs shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)

1/4 cups chicken stock (or water)

1 tsp cornstarch (slurry)

2 tbsp green onions (white parts, thinly sliced)

Noodles & Garnishes

2 servings fresh or dried ramen / Chinese wheat noodles

2 cups bok choy (baby) or spinach

2 units soft-boiled eggs (halved)

2 tbsp chopped green onions (greens)

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp crushed chili oil (for serving)

2 tbsp pickled mustard greens (optional)

Method

Broth / Sauce

Prepare sesame-peanut base

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, white miso (if using) and about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock until smooth and free of lumps. This creates a thick, emulsified paste that will suspend in the hot broth.

Assemble and heat broth

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining chicken stock and dashi. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the sesame-peanut mixture until fully incorporated. Add the chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn oil, dark sesame oil and salt. Taste and adjust: add up to 1/2 cup additional water or stock if the broth is too thick, or more soy/mirin for seasoning. Keep the broth at a low simmer while you prepare toppings.

Meat Topping (Ground Pork)

Cook aromatics

Heat a skillet or small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil. When shimmering, add the finely grated ginger and minced garlic; sauté for 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Brown the pork and build flavor

Add the ground pork and break it up with a spatula. Cook until mostly browned, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the doubanjiang and continue to cook 1–2 minutes to toast the paste and deepen flavor.

Finish the meat

Stir in the soy sauce and shaoxing wine. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock (or water) and simmer until the liquid is mostly reduced, 2–3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with a teaspoon of water to make a thin slurry, then stir into the pork mixture to slightly thicken and gloss the sauce. Turn off heat and stir in the sliced white parts of the green onions. Keep warm.

Noodles & Assembly

Cook greens

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the bok choy or spinach for 30–45 seconds until bright green and tender. Remove and drain; set aside.

Cook noodles

In the same pot of boiling water, cook the ramen or wheat noodles according to package instructions until al dente (generally 2–4 minutes for fresh, longer for dried). Drain well and divide between two bowls.

Assemble bowls

Ladle the hot sesame-peanut broth evenly over the noodles (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups broth per bowl). Spoon generous portions of the warm ground pork topping over the center of each bowl. Arrange blanched greens to one side, add a halved soft-boiled egg to each bowl, and scatter green onion greens, toasted sesame seeds, and pickled mustard greens (if using). Drizzle an extra teaspoon of chili oil or chili crisp on top for heat.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Encourage mixing the pork and sauce into the broth and noodles before eating so the sesame-peanut base coats the noodles.