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Ants Climbing a Tree
There are no insects in this Sichuan noodle dish; rather, the name Ants Climbing a Tree refers to the way the bits of pork cling to the noodles.
👥 4 Servings👤 Diana Kuan📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●pan
- ●skillet
- ●spatula
📝 Preparation Steps
1
In a large bowl, soak the vermicelli in enough warm water to cover for ⏱️ 10 minutes. Drain, shake off excess water, and set aside.
2
Rinse the black beans to remove any grit. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a spoon for about ⏱️ 20 seconds (it does not need to be a smooth paste).
3
In a small bowl, stir together the soy. sauce, Sichuan chile oil, and sesame oil. Set aside.
4
In a large bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. of the Chinese rice wine with the ground pork.
5
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking up the pork with a spatula, until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry, about ⏱️ 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans and stir-fry for another ⏱️ 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. rice wine and use the spatula to scrape up any bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
garlic, minced2 cloves
6
Add the stock, the drained noodles, and the Sichuan chili oil mixture. Simmer the noodles, tossing carefully with tongs so they get evenly cooked, until the broth is half absorbed, 3 to ⏱️ 4 minutes. (The vermicelli noodles will still absorb a lot of liquid post-cooking.) Transfer everything to a deep serving bowl, garnish with the scallion greens, and serve.
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