Egg noodles with beef and broccoli is a Chinatown restaurant classic, made with either Chinese or Western broccoli, depending on the cook’s preference. Fresh round egg noodles about the size of spaghetti are used here. Although they are called fresh, the thick egg noodles known as dan mian (literally “egg noodle”) are precooked and do not need to be boiled for this recipe.

Seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine), this hearty dish is perfect for winter. If you cannot find fresh dan mian, feel free to use the dried version of this noodle or thinner fresh or dried ramen. If you use ramen, you might want to cut the beef into strips to balance the textures.

Serves 6

 Ingredients:

3 tablespoons thin soy sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sake

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 pound beef sirloin, thinly sliced

1 pound fresh or 10 ounces dried thick round egg noodles, or 1 pound fresh or 10 ounces dried ramen

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

1 pound Chinese broccoli or common broccoli, cut into bite-sized chunks or florets

1 1/4 cups Basic Asian Stock (chicken, recipe follows)

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice wine. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until completely dissolved. Stir in the tapioca starch and continue stirring until smooth. Add the sesame oil and beef, and mix well. Marinate for 20 minutes.

2. If using dried Chinese egg noodles or ramen, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and cook the noodles until tender yet firm and drain.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a skillet or wok over high heat and stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil with 1/4 cup of the stock and cook the broccoli until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the same plate.

4. Add the remaining cup of stock and the remaining 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice wine to the same skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, leaving the noodles lightly moistened, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the beef and broccoli to the skillet and toss to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Season with pepper and serve.

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