Spicy Beef Noodles

Inspired by the Taiwanese spicy beef noodles, this is a mouth-wateringly delicious, light noodles dish. The broth is flavoured with Asian spices and condiments, giving it an umami, savoury flavour.

The star ingredient of this noodle is the tender, spicy beef. For our recipe, we have used the Sparta Beef Cubes, provided to us by one of our partners, United Foods Suppliers (UFS). These are already cut to bite size cubes, making it quick and easy to use in recipes. When cooked, it is soft and tender with a deep meat flavour.  

Serving size: 4-5

Ingredients:

For parboiling the beef

• 5 cups of water
• 450-460g Sparta Beef Cubes
• 5-inch leeks (green part, cut in half)
• 2-inch piece of ginger (largely sliced)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

For the broth

• 1 ½ tbsp oil
• 1 large onion (cut to quarters)
• 4-inch leeks (white part, cut in half)
• 5 large cloves of garlic (sliced to halves)
• 2-inch largely sliced piece of ginger
• 4 sliced green chillies
• 6 dried red chillies (cut in half)
• 6 cloves
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup dark soy sauce
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 medium sized tomato (cut to quarters)
• 3 medium sized dried bay leaves
• 2 ¼ cup water
   

For the noodles and topping

• 220g flat rice noodles
• 4 cup water
• 1 tbsp chopped green onion (green part)

Instructions:

1. To parboil the beef, add 5 cups of water along with 450-460g Sparta Beef Cubes, 5-inch leeks (green part, cut in half), 2-inch largely sliced piece of ginger, and 1 tsp black peppercorns to a large pot and bring to a boil on high heat for around 10-11 minutes. As it is boiling, scum will form on the surface of the water. Remove the scum using a ladle until most of the water is clear.
2. After boiling, remove the beef cubes from the pot (you do not need the aromatics anymore) and rinse under running water for around 30 seconds to remove any impurities. The beef will be grey in colour and some pieces may not be fully cooked. Set aside.
3. Next, take a large pot and add 1 ½ tbsp oil and heat it up for 30 seconds. Add in 1 large onion (cut to quarters), 4-inch leeks (white part, cut in half), 5 large cloves of garlic (sliced to halves), 2-inch largely sliced piece of ginger, 4 sliced green chillies, and 6 dried red chillies (cut in half).
4. On medium high heat, sauté for 3 minutes, until the onions start to get translucent and the leeks are lightly browned. Then add in the parboiled beef and mix with the onions for 1 minute, to let the flavours merge together.
5. Add 6 cloves, ½ tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp fennel seeds, and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Mix everything well together and sauté for another 2 minutes, or until the onions and garlic starts to get lightly browned.
6. Now, add in 2 tbsp tomato paste, ¼ cup dark soy sauce, ¼ cup light soy sauce, and 2 tbsp oyster sauce. Mix everything together until well combined and let it cook for 2 minutes. The beef mixture will be a dark brown colour at this point. Add 2 medium sized tomato (cut to quarters) and 3 medium sized dried bay leaves and mix with the beef.
7. Pour 2 ¼ cup water and give it a final mix. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 1 hour. For the first 40 minutes, leave it on low heat and for the next 20 minutes turn the heat up to a medium low. At this point, the broth should be simmering and have a deep brown colour, and the beef should be soft and tender.
8. Once the broth is cooked, prepare the noodles. For the noodles, first add 4 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil in high heat (this will take around 4-5 minutes). Then, add in the rice noodles and boil for another 7-8 minutes or until the noodles are softened and chewy. Drain and rinse the noodles under running water for 30 seconds to stop any further cooking.
9. Now you can assemble the noodles. First add some noodles to a bowl and place some of the beef from the broth on top. Then pour the broth over the noodles (you can avoid large pieces of herbs and spices and pour just the soup using a ladle). Lastly, sprinkle some of the chopped green onion on top and serve. Since this is best served hot, you can reheat the broth throughout the day.