INGREDIENTS

Sofrito:
1 cup chopped shallots and garlic
½ cup chopped black mushrooms
1 cup tian jian* salted vegetables

Tomato Chili Jam:
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 red peppers, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 cup red wine vinegar
Sugar and salt to taste

Spicy Chili Sauce:
1 jar black bean and chili sauce
½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce

Noodles:
1 pound dried egg noodles
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cups sofrito
2 cups sautéed pork and veal
1 cup spicy chili sauce
½ cup tomato jam
2 cups bok choy shoots
½ cup crispy whitebait
½ cup crispy shallots 
¼ cup chopped pork crackling
½ cup finely cut scallions, green

METHOD

For the Sofrito:
Combine all vegetables and mix thoroughly. Reserve.

For the Tomato Chili Jam:
Cook mixture of tomatoes, peppers, and onions in an oiled sauce pan over medium heat until tomatoes, pepper and onions are falling apart.  For the last 10 to 15 minutes raise heat to high allowing vegetables to caramelize slightly.  Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar and cook to reduce.  Season liberally with sugar and salt.

For the Spicy Chili Sauce:
Combine black bean and chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce and stir to incorporate thoroughly.

To Assemble and Serve:
Blanch noodles in a large pot of boiling water. Meanwhile heat canola oil in large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add sofrito and ground meats, chili sauce, and tomato jam. Sauté the mixture until fragrant. Add bok choy and continue to sauté until bok choy is wilted. Remove blanched noodles from the water and drain. Add them to the mixture on the stovetop and toss and finish cooking noodles until they are warmed through. Portion dan dan mein between 4 plates. Garnish with pork crackling, whitebait, shallots, and scallions.

*You can purchase this condiment at a Chinese market.