Chinese Noodles with Beef and Vegetables

Date: October 2002
Newsletter No. 2

Dear Friends,
It's been a month since I sent my first recipe.  And I've got a lot of favorable responses, particularly for the simple to follow preparation of a delicious dish.  Also, there were many requests for recipes of dishes served in Home Food Inn, such as Salt & Pepper Calamari and Sweet & Sour Pork.  I promise that I shall fulfill these requests with time.  Meanwhile, I would like to talk to you about noodles.

Noodles in Chinese cooking are interchangeable with rice.  Like rice, it can be prepared in several different ways, and is a basic staple in some parts of China.  A complete and delicious meal can be prepared easily by adding a topping to the cooked noodles.  For this time, the topping is beef with mixed vegetables.

I am going back to China from Oct 11 to Oct 30, 2002.  I will be learning more about new dishes and cooking techniques to bring back for the next newsletters to come.  If you have questions with these recipes, email me at winnie@homefoodinn.com or look for me at the restaurant after I come back, we can have a discussion then.

Winnie Sit

Chinese Noodles with Beef and Vegetables

You can serve the noodles in different ways by cooking the noodles differently, like soup noodles, cirspy noodles & pan fried noodles.  Dry egg noodles are available from most superstores or oriental markets.

Cooking Noodles

Drop noodles into large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir occasionally to seperate.  Drain well.

Noodles with Broth (Soup Noodles)
Add cooked noodles to hot broth.  Add the cooked beef and vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with a touch of chopped scallion and cilantro.  Broth may be homemade or canned.

Crispy Noodles
Add the cooked noodles a bit at a time with a pair of tongs to a deep-fryer.  Fry until slightly brown.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

Pan-Fried Noodles
Heat a pan (or wok) with 2 tsp. of oil.  Add and spread the cooked noodles evenly.  Pan-fry until slightly brown.  Turn noodles over and brown the other side.  The outer layers should be a bit crispy and the inside should be moist.

Beef and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 130 grams of Beef Filet (cut into small pieces, 5cm x 2cm x 5mm thick)
• 150 grams of mixed vegetables of your choice
• Cooking oil
• 1 clove of crushed garlic
• peeled and finely chopped ginger
• chopped scallions and cilantro (optional)

Instructions

• Marinate beef for an hour with 1/2 tbsp. of salt, 1 egg white, 2 tsp. of water, 1 tsp. of soy sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. oil, 1 tsp. corn starch, and a pinch of pepper.
• Parboil beef in warm oil and drain well
• Put vegetables into boiling water with 1 tsp. of salt for 3 minutes and drain well.

Oyster Sauce Gravy

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 tsp. cooking wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp. of oyster sauce (available from all oriental grocers)
• 1/2 cup of water

Mix all ingredients well.

Completing the Dish

Heat 2 tsp. of oil in a pan.  Add the ginger and garlic.  Saute for one minute.  Add the oyster sauce gravy.  Heat to thicken.  Add the parboiled beef and cooked vegetables.  Stir quickly and remove from heat.

Pour the above onto the crispy or pan-fried noodles.  Serve.

Note:  Cooked or fried rice can replace the noodles and it will still be an easy and tasty dish.

Recipe courtesy of Winnie Sit of Home Food Inn Restaurant.
Home of Gourmet Chinese Cooking and Daily Deluxe Buffet.