Red-Cooked Beef With Gravy Noodles

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1 lb Boned chuck roast                 1/4 ts Fresh ginger, minced
3 tb Cooking oil                         4    Large stalks Napa
2 tb Deep frying oil                          -cabbage, leaves removed,
2    Scallions, coarsely chopped              -cut in 2' squares
2    Cloves garlic, minced             1/2 lb Fresh egg noodles

—————————–RED-COOKING LIQUID—————————–
1 ts Sichuan peppercorns 2 Scallions
4 c Water 3 Slices ginger
1/2 c Black soy sauce 1 Piece dried
2 tb Chinjiang vinegar -licorice root (opt)

—————————–GRAVY INGREDIENTS—————————–
1 1/4 c Chicken stock 1/2 ts Sugar
2 tb Medium sherry Cornstarch paste
1 ts Ground bean sauce

Red-Cooking Meat: In medium hot wok, toast peppercorns until fragrant
(avoid burning); crush and finely mince with cleaver; reserve. Cut beef into
1 1/2′ chunks. Heat cooking oil in hot wok until it starts to smoke; brown
beef in several batches; drain oil and discard. Combine peppercorns and
remaining ingredients of red-cooking liquid; add to wok. Bring to boil;
reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is very
tender. (If liquid evaporates before meat is tender, add cup of water or
stock and continue cooking.) Remove meat from liquid. If desired, cool
meat, cover and refrigerate. Boiling Noodles: Bring 4 qts. water to rolling
boil; add noodles. Drain when still slightly undercooked. Stir-frying: Heat
peanut oil in hot wok. When oil starts to smoke, add scallions and stir-fry
until fragrant. Add garlic, ginger and Napa cabbage; stir-fry for about 1
minute, until cabbage is slightly wilted. Add meat and all gravy ingredients
except cornstarch paste. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 3
minutes. Remove cover; dribble in enough cornstarch paste to make a light
gravy; not too heavy as you want to coat noodles, but not too soupy either.
Turn up heat; when sauce returns to boil, add noodles. Toss to mix (and
reheat) noodles. Transfer to warmed serving platter or large bowl. Serves
4

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