Recipe: Chinese Stir-Fried Beef With Egg Noodles

The Perfect Stir-Fry

I live about an hour's drive from the city. In between my home and the city, there are numerous small villages, a lot of mountains, and many narrow roads, but very little choice on the culinary front, apart from pizza and traditional dishes.

Chinese cuisine is one of my favorites. However, with no nearby takeaway or restaurant options, I cook my own Chinese dishes at home. In recent times, specialized ingredients have become more widely available, too. The following recipe is one of my favorites, and it is a regular Saturday night supper for my family.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 400g / 16oz quality beef steak, cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 baby carrots, peeled and chopped into thin strips
• 1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 4 ounces bean sprouts, drained
• 2 spring onions, thinly diced
• 6 ounces egg noodles
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted

For the marinade:

• 1 teaspoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 small green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 cm fresh root ginger, finely grated
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed

Instructions

1. Make the marinade. In a bowl, blend the cornflour with the Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, then stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, green chili, root ginger, and crushed garlic and mix together.
2. Add the beef strips to the marinade, cover, and leave to marinade for 20 to 30 minutes. Set to one side.
3. While the beef marinades cook the egg noodles according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and cool under cold running water. Drain again and set to one side.
4. To toast the sesame seeds, place the sesame seeds in a dry wok or pan and dry fry over moderate heat till golden brown. Remove and set to one side.
5. Heat the sesame oil and vegetable oil in the wok. Drain the beef strips reserving the marinade and stir fry till just browned (1 to 2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon.
6. Add the carrot and pepper strips. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced spring onions and cook for 1 minute.
7. Return the steak to the wok with the marinade, add the beansprouts and the noodles, and stir fry for a further 2 minutes mixing thoroughly to evenly coat all the ingredients with the marinade.
8. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve immediately to the table.

Homemade Chinese takeaway recipes have another huge advantage: the cost. It costs a fraction of the price to knock up a stir-fry for the family and of course you know the quality of the meat and vegetables that you are using in your stir-fry, so it will be much healthier for your family, too. Vegetables, noodles, and rice are the bulk in most Chinese dishes making your homemade stir-fry a more cost-effective and healthier substitute takeaway meal.

Should you decide that homemade Chinese takeaways are the future for your Saturday night supper, one big tip: invest in a wok. I recommend a large, non-stick wok with an extra holding handle (recommended below). The extra handle ensures easy maneuvering while stir-frying, and it also facilitates transferring the hot wok straight to the table for easy serving. Being a generous 14-inches means everything can be cooked in the wok. Your Saturday night stir-fry supper doesn't have to be a chore anymore.

Tips and Tricks

• Use good quality beef, the marinade helps tenderize the beef but it won't work miracles.
• The beef can be left to marinate for up to two hours beforehand.
• Pork loin also works in this stir-fry.
• Tofu, also known as bean curd (an original Chinese food), can be used as a meat substitute. Use firm textured tofu, marinate, and stir-fry exactly the same as the beef.
• Green peppers also work in this dish as do small broccoli florets and baby corn.
• Stir-frying is a quick method of cooking over high heat constantly stirring the food, if you are new to this and your stir-fry is a little dry, add some water.
• To add extra heat, add more chili and ginger to the marinade or sprinkle extra green chili over the dish to serve.

© 2020 Gabriel Wilson