Sizzling-Spicy Beef Noodles

Mala Niurou Mian (麻辣牛肉面)

Fresh Chinese noodles are served in a sizzling-spicy Sichuan soup with tender bites of red braised beef and nutritious leafy greens like water spinach – all of it enhanced by fragrant cilantro.

Sizzling-Spicy Beef Noodles, sometimes simply called Beef Noodles (牛肉面) or Red Braised Beef Noodles (红烧牛肉面) at restaurants, are an icon of perfect Sichuan Soup Noodles. I’ve had these noodles in Chengdu, Leshan, and Yibin on numerous occasions, each time as memorable as the last. However, the best bowl of Beef Noodles was definitely in Nanxi District of Yibin City. The flavors of Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles are usually quite similar among various restaurants. The main differences lie within the two key components of this Noodle Dish: a high-quality Soup Base and delicious Red Braised Beef.

Soup Noodle dishes are known for using high-quality Soup Bases, usually from stock. What separates Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles apart is its unique Sizzling Spicy Soup Base. Other Soup Noodle Dishes add some version of Advanced Stock to the Noodles, which while delicious is rather basic. Contrarily, Sichuan noodle restaurants, offering Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles, will make an ultra-flavorful Soup Base by frying Chilies, Aromatics, and Spices in Oil, Lard, or Beef Tallow and then add either Advanced Stock or Water. The process is quite similar to a scaled-down version of making Hotpot Soup Base. In fact, the majority of the ingredients are exactly the same. Here’s where it gets interesting! Hotpot Soup Base not only has nearly identical ingredients but, when cooked with the Beef, also has an identical flavor. As such, a good Hotpot Soup Base can be used to easily make these delicious Noodles at home.

Unlike other Soup Noodle Dishes, which tend to have a variety of Toppings, Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles usually has only one: Cilantro. This leafy aromatic is added liberally, not only as a garnish but as a final layer of flavor. Scallion, however, is rarely seen atop this dish and not something I would recommend. Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles are extremely flavorful as is, so extra Toppings or Sauces are unnecessary. The one exception is Chinkiang Black Vinegar, the most popular condiment in China.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 15 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

1 handful of Leafy Greens (Baby Bok Choy, Spinach, Sword Lettuce 油麦菜, or Water Spinach 空心菜; Per Serving)

Soup Base
2 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger
1 4-inch block of Hotpot Soup Base

Garnish
1 small bunch of Cilantro

2 cups of Red Braised Beef With about 1 cup of Sauce (1 cup of Meat and about 1/2 cup of Sauce per Bowl – this ratio can be adjusted – the amount of meat is what’s considered a double portion or heavy portion at most noodle restaurants)

400 grams of fresh alkaline Noodles (Such as Ramen 拉面 OR Gua-Mian挂面; 200 g. per Bowl)

1/3 cup of Peanut Oil

Sauces
2 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce

Directions

1.) Prepare the Leafy Greens by separating the leaves, washing them, and draining them thoroughly. Set the Leafy Greens aside in a bowl for later.

2.) Prepare the Soup Base, placing everything together in the same bowl:

• Peel, smash, and roughly mince the Garlic.
• Peel, smash, and roughly mince the Ginger.
• Cut the Hotpot Soup Base into roughly 1-inch cubes.

3.) Roughly chop the Cilantro and set the pieces aside in a small bowl.

4.) Place the Red Braised Beef in a bowl along with plenty of its sauce. Optionally, the Red Braised Beef can be cut into smaller bite-sized pieces using kitchen shears.

(The size of the Beef will vary at different restaurants, but I recommend roughly 1-inch cubes. This size will allow the Beef to remain tender and absorb a lot of flavor from the Hotpot Soup Base. If using my recipe for Red Braised Beef, the cubes of Beef will be slightly large and simply need to be cut in half).

5.) Fill a large pot with water and heat on high until rapidly boiling. Add one serving of the Noodles and cook them briefly. Use a wire strainer to remove them from the pot, shake off any excess water, and place them in a noodle bowl. Do this for the other serving of Noodles.

(DO NOT Overcook the Noodles! The goal is to cook the Noodles about 90% to 95% done – which for Fresh Noodles takes less than 30 seconds. Remember, the Noodles will finish cooking in the hot soup. If the Noodles are fully cooked at this stage, they will be mush when served. Generally, Noodles are not rinsed in China as they are with some pasta dishes. The Noodles are instead added directly to the serving bowl. Naturally, the Noodles will stick together slightly, but should come apart easily when eating. You can run the Noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from sticking together, but it’s usually unnecessary).

6.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high heat and add about 1/3 cup of Peanut Oil. When nearly smoking, pull the wok away from heat and add the bowl of Soup Base, stir-frying everything a few seconds to soften the Hotpot Soup Base. Return the wok to heat and stir everything vigorously until the Soup Base has combined with the Oil.

(If the Hotpot Soup Base begins to stick or overheat during this step, simply pull the wok away from heat while constantly stirring. Do not burn the Soup Base, which is quite easy to do).

7.) Add the Red Braised Beef and its sauce to the wok, quickly stir-frying everything for about 45 seconds to combine them.

8.) Stir in 4 cups of Water, creating a delicious Soup, and add the Soy Sauce. Increase the heat to high and bring the Soup to a boil. Boil the Beef in the Soup for about 3 minutes.

9.) Hold a large slotted spoon or wire strainer in one hand and small tongs or chopsticks in the other hand. Scoop up the Beef with the slotted spoon and quickly remove the pieces of Beef using the tongs. Divide the Beef pieces among the bowls, setting them on top of the Noodles. Use a wire strainer to quickly skim through the Soup to remove and discard any debris from the Soup Base.

(This step is optional but highly recommended for creating a pure Soup and giving the finished Noodles a better appearance).

10.) Add the Leafy Greens to the boiling soup and cook them just until the leaves have wilted and the stalks have begun to soften, which will usually take around 30 seconds. Remove the Leafy Greens from the Soup and lay them around the sides of the Noodles in each bowl.

11.) Carefully pour the hot Soup into each bowl and Garnish with plenty of chopped Cilantro. Serve the Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles immediately along with a bottle of Chinkiang Black Vinegar at the table as a condiment.

 

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