Braised beef:

700g (1 lb 8 oz) beef chuck steak, cut into roughly 4cm (1.5”) cubes

sea salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup Chinese Shaoxing wine

4 spring onions (scallions), cut into batons

4cm (1.5”) piece ginger, julienned

2 whole star anise

½ tsp Chinese five-spice

2 tbsp doubanjiang*

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

Chilli oil:

100g (3.5 oz) small dried red chilies

2 tbsp green Sichuan peppercorns

2 cups vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp extra

Bowl bases:

4cm (1.5”) piece ginger, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped spring onion (scallions)

4 tsp Chinese black vinegar*

4 tsp sesame oil

6 cups chicken stock

400g (14 oz) dried thin wheat noodles

¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed

4 tbsp finely chopped pickled mustard greens*

finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve

Steps

Step 1

Season the beef pieces with a generous amount of salt. Next, place a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then carefully add in the seasoned beef. You should hear a wonderful sizzle immediately. Sear the beef on the first side for 4-5 minutes or until a golden crust forms. Then use tongs to turn the beef and sear for a further 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, or until there’s plenty of golden crusty goodness on most sides of the beef. The goal here is to get some color on the meat to create flavor, rather than cooking it all the way through.

Step 2

Pour in the Chinese Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan and lift all those gorgeous caramelized bits from the base. Next, add the remaining ingredients as well as 2 cups of water, then gently stir through until well incorporated. Place the lid on top of your pan and turn the heat down to low. Simmer away for roughly 90 minutes or until the beef is soft and tender.

Step 3

Meanwhile, let’s make the chili oil. Place the pile of dried chilies on a chopping board. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, snip at the chilies to cut them into large chunks. Scoop up the chilies and place them into a colander, then give everything a good shake. We want to try and remove as many of the chili seeds as possible, otherwise, they may burn in the hot oil later.

Step 4

Place a wok or large frying pan over low heat and add the chili pieces. Dry roast the chilies, stirring, for 4–7 minutes or until they’re fragrant and toasty. Now add in 1 tsp of vegetable oil and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes or so until they turn glossy and a shade darker. Add in the Sichuan peppercorns and toss for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a blender or spice grinder and pulse to a coarse powder. Now transfer the powder to a large heatproof jar.

Step 5

Place the remaining 2 cups of vegetable oil in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat for around 10 minutes or until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms little bubbles. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the hot oil over the chili and peppercorn powder in the jar. Set aside to cool.

Step 6

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Step 7

Now let’s build the bowl bases. Divide the ginger, garlic, spring onion, Chinese black vinegar, and sesame oil between your serving bowls. Spoon in as much chili oil as you think you can handle (it’s pretty hot!) into each bowl, too.

Step 8

Heat the chicken stock. Dividing it equally between each serving bowl, ladle it on top of all your aromatics.

Step 9

Add the noodles to your boiling water. Cook according to packet instructions or until just tender, then drain and divide among serving bowls.

Step 10

Top with pieces of beef, peanuts, and pickled mustard greens. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve.

Notes

Notes:

– Otherwise known as chinkiang vinegar, Chinese black vinegar is available from Asian grocers. However, if you are unable to find it, substitute it with half balsamic and half white vinegar.

– Pickled mustard greens are mustard greens that have been brined in a salt solution and fermented. They give a lovely salty and tangy flavor to a dish. I couldn’t find the Chinese version near me, so I used the Thai version instead.

– Doubanjiang is a Chinese fermented broad bean and chili paste. It can be found at an Asian grocer or ordered online.