spicy beef noodles

Hi, my name is Alexandra and I have a YouTube addiction. I’m not afraid to admit that I watch endless amounts of YouTube until 3 in the morning which makes me late for work almost everyday. Worth it? Yes, yes it is.

Recently, I have been binge watching the food ranger and I for one, love seeing food from around the world, especially street food/food markets. I think you can really see the heart and soul of a country through its street vendors. I also love seeing the different ingredients countries use, the way they make their food, watching Trevor, the food ranger, eat, and getting the biggest smile on his face. I love it all! However, there is always a downside to watching all these food videos and that is that I get so hungry in the middle of the night! I always end up waking up the next day just craving whatever it was that I was watching and recently it has been noodles. For some odd reason I always gravitate towards noodle videos. I can’t help it, I just love listening to the sound of noodles slurping. It’s so satisfying and it always makes me want to eat a bowl of noodles no matter what time it is.

I was watching a video of the food ranger trying out different spicy beef szechuan noodles dishes from China and I rewatched the video so much that I had to make my own version of them at home. This particular bowl of noodles are famous for its spicy meat mixture. It is made with either ground pork or ground beef that is fried in oil then seasoned with different kinds of warm spices and seasonings that give it a spicy kick and reddish brown color. Everyone makes their meat mixture differently which is what makes every bowl of noodles unique. Even the mix-ins are different for everybody. Some add in more veggies or even different kinds of sauces to the bottom of the bowl so its super customizable to you and your preferences.

When it first comes to you, nothing is mixed. The noodles are still white and steaming, the meat is tossed in the corner of the bowl while all its red hot chili oils drip to the bottom of the bowl meeting up with all the other toppings, sauces, and veggies. Your job at this point is to mix everything together as best as you can with your hardcore kung fu panda skills until everything has some sauce and some sauce has everything. Don’t wait to mix everything together because the secret to a good bowl of spicy beef szechuan noodles is mixing it while its still piping hot! The noodles come straight out of boiling water so it will cook the veggies perfectly and the sauces will be well mixed! The noodles come down in temperature just a little and you can literally chow down the second you’re done mixing everything without burning your tongue which in my opinion is a total plus!

Spicy Beef Noodles 

INGREDIENTS: 

Meat sauce (serves 4):

• 1/4 cup of canola oil

• 1 – 1″ knob of minced ginger

•  2 cloves of minced garlic

• 1/2 pound of Ground beef

• 1 tablespoon of ground chili paste

• 2 tablespoons of red pepper powder

• 1 tablespoon of cumin

• 2 tablespoons of chili oil

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

• Salt & white pepper (to taste)

To serve (serves 1):

• 2 tablespoons of scallions

• 1 tablespoon of parsley

• 1 serving of Chinese wheat noodles

• A handful of leafy greens (chinese broccoli, bok choy, or choy sum)

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons of the spicy meat sauce

• Lime (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Meat Sauce:

1. In a skillet, heat the canola oil on medium-high until you see it start to smoke.

2. Then add in your ginger, garlic, and ground beef and fry until the meat is crispy & brown. (Approx. 5 mins)

3. Next, mix in the salt, white pepper, chili oil, chili paste, sesame oil, cumin, and red pepper powder.

4. Stir until everything is combined and set aside.

To Serve:

1. In a large boiling pot of water cook your noodles according to the package directions.

2. In the meantime, place in the Chinese vegetable of your choice, scallions, parsley, and soy sauce in the bottom of a bowl.

3. Once the noodles are done cooking bring them straight from the boiling water into your bowl of fresh herbs and veggies.

4. Top off the bowl with your spicy hot meat mixture, a squeeze of lime juice, and some more scallions.

5. While the noodles are still pipping hot give everything a good stir to combine everything! Enjoy immediately!

Note: Use 1 tablespoon of the pasta water if needed to thin it out a little. Also the meat mixture should be hot or at-least warmed up.