Taiwanese Spicy Beef Noodles

Beef noodles are often considered Taiwan’s national dish. This recipe comes courtesy of Linda Shiue, or rather Linda’s mother. Linda is a physician who also teaches healthy cooking classes. Even though she’s an accomplished cook, she always defers to her mother when it comes to making this dish.

Cuisine

Asian, Taiwanese

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

1-2 hours

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

1-2 hours, 4-6 servings, asian, black peppercorns, bok choy, chili sauce, chopped green onions, chopped onion, chopped preserved chinese vegetables, cilantro/coriander leaves, contributed, cook 65 min, dinner, fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, granulated sugar, inch knob fresh ginger, instant pot asian recipes, instant pot ribs recipes, large carrots, main course, medium, medium garlic cloves, medium roma tomatoes, ounces dried thick chinese wheat noodles, Patricia Tanumihardja, peel of 1/2 orange or tangerine, prep 15 min, pressure cook, sauté, sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, star anise pods, taiwanese, to 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, to 6 dried red chilies, vegetable oil, whole cloves

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

65 min

Servings

4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 medium garlic cloves
2 inch knob fresh ginger
2 medium Roma tomatoes
3 cup large carrots
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp granulated sugar
4 black peppercorns
4 Sichuan peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 to 6 dried red chilies
Peel of 1/2 orange or tangerine
4 star anise pods
8 oz bok choy
8 ounces dried thick Chinese wheat noodles
Cilantro/coriander leaves
Chopped green onions
chili sauce
Chopped preserved Chinese vegetables

Instructions

Season the beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Select SAUTÉ and set to HIGH/MORE. Add the oil. When the pot is hot, sear the beef on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t worry if some pink remains.
Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and carrots and stir and cook. Press CANCEL.
Add the soy sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any cooked-on bits and avoid the BURN warning.
Add the sugar and whole spices: black peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, star anise, dried chilies and orange peel. Stir to mix.
Lock the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL and set to HIGH for 35 minutes. Make sure the steam release valve is sealed. Once pressurized (8 to 10 minutes), the cook cycle will start.
While the beef cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the bok choy and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and rinse under cold running water.
Wait for the water to start boiling again, then cook the noodles according to pack-age directions. Drain and save the noodle cooking liquid.
When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then quick release any remaining pressure. When the float valve drops, press CANCEL and open the lid.
Fish out the herbs and spices. Skim off fat from the surface. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. The sauce should taste a little salty.
Divide the noodles among 4 to 6 large bowls. Spoon some beef, carrots and sauce over the noodles and top with bok choy. Add some noodle cooking liquid to make it soupier if desired.
Garnish with green onions and cilantro sprigs and pass the chili sauce and pre-served Chinese vegetables at the table.

Notes

NOTES: Udon is a thick wheat noodle that is usually served in soups. Fresh and frozen udon are available at Asian markets. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free spaghetti or linguine. You can also use bone-in beef shanks for this dish. But parboil them first before cooking. My recipe tester Marcie suggests using a spice sachet to enclose the whole spices and for easy removal, but the flavors may not diffuse as well.

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