Being in a relationship while trying to go on a diet can have its challenges. I love my fatty burgers, cheesy pasta, and greasy pizzas but most of the time, I want to eat clean food. Since quinoa, yogurt parfaits, and salads aren't exactly on my boyfriend's favorite foods list, we often have to compromise when dining out. One of our favorite places that aren't too indulgent but also not too healthy is a Chinese noodle place in Alhambra. No matter how many times I visit the restaurant, Luscious Dumplings, I always order the stewed beef noodles - it's just that darn good. Although I knew I couldn't remake an exact replica of the dish I had to give it a try. Here is my recipe for Chinese braised beef stew noodles.
Chinese Braised Beef Stew Noodles
Ingredients
Braised beef
- 2 lb chuck rib roast
- 1 inch ginger peeled
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup rice wine
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 2 Thai chili
- 3 scallions cut into 4 inch pieces
- 2 star anise
- 5 cups water
Soup
- 1 lb Chinese egg noodles
- ½ lb baby bok choy
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 cups beef sauce
Instructions
- Cover the chuck rib roast with water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately drain the water. Rinse the meat and wash the pot.
- Return the meat to the pot and add the remaining ingredients for the braised beef (up to the 5 cups water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until the chuck roast is fork tender. The meat should fall apart without resistance. Remove meat and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Strain the beef sauce, discarding the vegetables.
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, and rinse.
- Blanch baby bok choy in salted boiling water, cooking for 2 minutes or until bright green and tender. Drain and shock in ice cold water.
- Combine beef broth with the braising liquid in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Divide the noodles, bok choy and beef into four bowls. Add the soup to each bowl and serve hot.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
This recipe for Chinese braised beef stew noodles is not to be confused with Taiwanese beef stew noodles. This version has a lighter broth and is much simpler to prepare.
The first step is to make the beef as flavorful and tender as you can. Bring the chuck roast to a boil in a pot of water and drain and wash the meat. This step helps remove any impurities in the beef. If you are using a boneless chuck roast, you can skip this step. You also substitute chuck roast for any other type of stew meat or roast.
Next, combine the meat with the aromatics and seasonings including garlic, ginger, scallions, star anise, soy sauce, and rice wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer on low until the roast is fork-tender. You can also prepare the meat in the instant pot, slow cooker, or in the oven. To cook the beef in the instant pot, pressure cook for 1 hour with all of the ingredients. For the slow cooker, set the settings to low and cook for 6-8 hours or until tender. For the oven, braise the meat in a dutch oven covered for about 2 hours at 325 degrees F or until tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the bok choy and cook the noodles. I personally prefer Chinese egg noodles for their width and texture but you can substitute it with thick flour noodles.
This Chinese braised beef stew noodle is, as expected, not an exact replica of the one served at my favorite restaurant. However, the beef is just as tender and the broth is still very tasty. I can eat this for lunch or dinner, summer or winter!
For more Asian noodle inspiration check out these scallion oil noodles!
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