¼ cup extra-crunchy peanut butter 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 teaspoons light brown sugar 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Toasted sesame oil (optional), as needed
For Serving
2 (3-ounce) packages instant noodles, flavor packets saved for another use
3 scallions, thinlysliced, for garnish
Chili crisp, for serving
Directions
Dan Dan Sauce:
In a skillet, heat the neutral oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the chopped pickles, 1 tablespoon of the shoyu, the bouillon powder, and white pepper.
Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid evaporates and the pork begins to brown again, about 1 minute.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons shoyu, the peanut butter, garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until combined, then remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dan dan sauce to a lidded jar.
Drizzle a small amount of sesame oil, if using, or neutral oil to form a thin layer over the sauce, then place in the fridge until ready to use (up to 5 days).
When you’re ready to serve:
Cook the instant noodles according to the package directions.
Drain off most of the hot starchy noodle water into a heatproof jar or cup (it’s fine if there’s a little at the bottom of the pot).
Stir in the dan dan sauce, adding some of the hot water back as needed until a loose, smooth sauce forms that coats the noodles.
Top with the scallions and as much chili crisp as desired.
pinoy bbq ribs (Kevin Miyazaki)
“Pinoy BBQ” Oven Sticky Ribs
Ingredients
For the spice-rubbed ribs:
1 full rack pork spareribs (about 2½ pounds)
4 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the barbecue sauce:
½ cup banana ketchup
3 tablespoons oyster sauce 2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce) 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 clovesgarlic, minced or grated
½ teaspoon freshlyground black pepper
Directions
Prepare the ribs:
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
If not already removed, peel off the membrane covering the bones on the back of the ribs. This helps the rub seasoning penetrate better. Carefully slide a paring knife under the membrane to loosen, then pull it off with your fingers (use a kitchen towel for a better grip).
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of the ribs.
Make the barbecue sauce:
In a sauce pan, combine the banana ketchup, oyster sauce, honey, shoyu, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and pepper.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Cook the ribs:
Place the seasoned ribs on the baking sheet, meat-side up. Cover the ribs with another sheet of foil and seal the edges tightly to create a packet. Bake until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone easily, 2 to 2½ hours.
Remove the ribs from the oven. Set the oven to broil at high heat (400°F) and move the oven rack to the highest position.
Carefully open the foil pouch to expose the ribs. Brush both sides generously with the barbecue sauce. Return the ribs to the oven, uncovered and with the meaty side up, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly charred and crispy.
Remove the ribs from the oven, add a final coat of sauce, and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, until caramelized and sticky.
Let cool slightly before slicing into individual ribs and serving with any remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
mango sticky rice waffles (Kevin Miyazaki)
Mango Sticky Rice Waffles
Ingredients
3 cups chilled leftover cooked short-grain rice
1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, plus more for greasing the
waffle iron
2 ripe mangoes, sliced
Directions
Place the rice in a microwave-safe medium bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, until it’s hot (not just warm) throughout.
Shake the can of coconut milk well before opening. Pour half the coconut milk over the rice, then add 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, the baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined and the warm rice has absorbed the coconut milk. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining coconut milk, the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water until smooth to form a slurry. Once the coconut sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and stir in the slurry. Continue stirring until the mixture has thickened, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 200°F, if you’d like, to keep the finished waffles warm.
Preheat a waffle iron, then brush liberally with butter or margarine.
For a regular-size waffle maker, measure out 1 firmly packed cup of the rice mixture (try not to overload it) and cook until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. If you’re using the oven to keep the waffles warm, transfer directly to the oven rack. Repeat until you have waffled all the sticky rice.
Serve the waffles topped with mango slices and the warm coconut syrup.
