Beef Noodles (Niu Rou Mein) - #2

Attempt #2
This is my second time making Beef Noodles. My first attempt turned out pretty well, but I wanted to ramp up the seasonings and add more broth. I used a lot more water this time, but maybe a little too much. It was still wonderfully tasty, but not quite perfect. I am hoping the third time will be the charm.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post, is to only cook up enough noodles and veggies for one meal at a time. Rusty and I usually eat this two different times - a couple bowls per meal each. I cook a half pound of noodles and two baby bok choys per meal.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6-9 beef short ribs (I used 6 boneless and 3 bone-in)
2 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 slices ginger
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon rice wine
6 cups water
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Szechaun peppercorn or chili paste
3 tablespoons chili bean paste or black bean sauce
6 star anise
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 scallion, sliced thin - garnish

Wheat noodles (or linguine), cooked

Baby bok choy, optional - blanched in same water as noodles
- or -
Pickled mustard greens, optional

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat beef dry and sear in batches. Return beef to Dutch oven.

2. Add scallions, ginger, onion, and 1 tablespoon rice wine and cook for 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil to skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and peppercorn (or red pepper paste) for 1 minute. Add chili bean paste, star anise, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir mixture into Dutch oven along with bay leaves.

4. Simmer for 2 - 3 hours. Turn off heat and let rest for 1 hour. (I don't know why you have to let it rest for 1 hour, but I can tell you that every single recipe I found had this step as a key part of making the dish.)

5. Remove meat and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove star anise, peppercorn, and bay leaves from broth. You can remove onions and green onions if desired.

6. Slice meat across grain and return to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in soy sauce.

To serve:
Place noodles and veggies in large soup bowls. Ladle broth over noodles and place meat on top. Garnish with scallions.