Dan Dan Noodles

Make sauce: whisk together sesame paste, chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, minced garlic, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and sugar. Thin with 3–4 tbsp hot water until pourable.

Cook pork in a dry wok over high heat, breaking up lumps, until crispy and well-browned. Add ya cai, stir-fry 1 minute. Season with 1 tsp soy sauce. Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package. In the last minute, add bok choy to the noodle water to blanch.

Divide sauce between bowls. Top with drained hot noodles — toss well to coat.

Top with pork mixture, bok choy, crushed peanuts, and sliced scallions.

Serve immediately — the noodles are best eaten right away.