Hainanese Beef Noodles

I say the word ‘favourite’ a lot. I’ve claimed many, many dishes as one of my favourite foods in my time. And you know what? They probably really are. I just really, really, really love food.

But I’m not going to say that these Hainanese Dry Beef Noodles are one of my favourite foods. Because that would be excluding all the other amazing versions of beef noodles out there. Pho Bo, Taiwanese Niu Rou Mian, Niku Udon – put some meaty beef and some silky noodles together, and I’m there. Do I get to have favourite genres of food?

I’ve always preferred soupy noodles, but this bowl of ‘dry’ noodles is not so dry. A thick, aromatic gravy – just bordering on gloopy, but in a good way – coats thick rice noodle strands with a flavour redolent of classic Chinese spices and beefy goodness. Spiked with tart, salty preserved vegetables and lots of fresh Chinese celery, this satisfying bowl of noodz never overstays its welcome. Especially since my shortcut version is SO EASY to make. Don’t believe me? Check out the recipe below.

RECIPE: Hainanese Dry Beef Noodles
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 700-800g stewing beef (e.g. beef cheek, beef briskets or good old beef cubes)

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3 star anise

• 4 cloves

• 7 white peppercorns

• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled but broken up into cloves

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

• 8 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch

• Thick bee hoon, to serve

• Pickled mustard leaf, chopped, to garnish

• Chinese celery, chopped into sections, to garnish

• Calamansi limes and chilli sauce, to serve

Method:

1. Place the beef, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, white peppercorns and garlic into a pot. Pour enough water in to cover the meat by around 1 inch. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

2. Bring the stew to a boil, then turn the heat down to a very low simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is tender. You can skim any scum that comes to the surface. Or not! It’s not a dealbreaker.

3. Take the meat out and set aside. Strain the remaining broth and toss the spices out. Put the meat and the strained broth back into the pot.

4. Stir in the dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Then season to taste with the remaining salt and sugar. This is a gravy, so make it a little more punchy in flavour than you would a soup.

5. Dissolve the potato starch or cornstarch in 160ml water, then stir 3/4 of it into the beef gravy. Let it boil for 1 minute to thicken while stirring. Add the remainder if you want it thicker.

6. Blanch the noodles and prepare your garnishes. Pour the gravy over the noodles and top with pickled mustard leaf, Chinese celery, and serve with calamansi lime and chilli sauce.