Dai People's "Business" Noodles (Banshichu Mixian)

Steps

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1. 1
   Heat half a cup of oil in a wok with the onion and cilantro roots. Fry over medium heat about 10 minutes until the onion turns golden, then remove and discard both.
   ▶ ≈2:34
2. 2
   Add the minced garlic, ginger, cardamom, and star anise to the same oil. Fry over medium-low heat until the garlic just starts to turn golden, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another minute, then remove the whole spices and reserve. Pour the garlic oil into a bowl and set aside.
   ▶ ≈2:57
3. 3
   Since the traditional Dehong Dai-style fermented chili paste is hard to find, mix together equal parts tomato paste, Pixian doubanjiang, and Hunan chopped fermented chili as a substitute.
   ▶ ≈3:32
4. 4
   Add back about four tablespoons (roughly half) of the garlic oil to the wok. Over medium-high heat, fry the minced pork for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown and release fat. Turn off heat and push the meat to the side to drain excess oil.
   ▶ ≈4:21
5. 5
   Add the sauce substitute from step 3 and fry over low heat for about 2 minutes until the oil turns red, then mix well with the pork.
   ▶ ≈4:44
6. 6
   Stir in the chopped tomato and the reserved whole spices. Fry over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes break down and start releasing red oil again.
   ▶ ≈4:54
7. 7
   Mix the starch with water to make a slurry, then stir in the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, MSG, salt, and chicken bouillon powder. Pour this into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens to your liking. Remove and set aside — the sauce is done.
   ▶ ≈5:32
8. 8
   To serve a bowl fresh: cook the rice noodles (230g fresh or 120g dried), then toss with salt, MSG, Sichuan pepper powder, and chili flakes. Top with about 1/3 cup of the sauce, a tablespoon of garlic oil with its fried garlic bits, chopped peanuts, minced garlic, minced fresh chili, and the culantro and cilantro. Mix well and enjoy.
   ▶ ≈6:15
9. 9
   To meal-prep for work: the night before, soak dried rice noodles in cold water for about an hour to soften, then blanch in boiling water for about 30 seconds until al dente. Immediately rinse in cold water, jiggling for 2-3 minutes until fully cooled and slippery. Drain well, then bag and refrigerate.
   ▶ ≈7:32
10. 10
    Store the sauce and garlic oil separately in the fridge (garlic oil keeps about a month, sauce about half a week, or longer if frozen). For a work lunch bag, combine about 1/3 cup sauce with 1 tablespoon garlic oil in one small bag and seal. In another bag, place the chopped garlic, fresh chili, cilantro, and culantro. In a separate bag, mix the chopped peanuts with the seasonings.
    ▶ ≈8:56
11. 11
    The next morning, bring all the bags along with the chilled noodles to work and keep them in the office fridge. At lunchtime, revive the noodles by submerging them in hot water and jiggling for 15-30 seconds, then drain well. Microwave the sauce until warm (or room temperature, to taste), then mix it into the noodles along with all the toppings and enjoy.
    ▶ ≈9:43