The Woks of Life’s Spicy Beef Biang Biang Noodles is definitely in the running for my choice of last meal in this life. What’s not to love about chewy broad noodles and tender beef swimming in a complex and spicy sauce?
The dish starts with chunks of beef shank (I substituted chuck roast as beef shank was impossible to find) slowly simmered with aromatic scallions, ginger, garlic, and star anise, along with tomato paste and spicy bean sauce (doubanjiang) for rich color and nice heat, resulting in tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. A bit of ground Sichuan peppercorns sprinkled in at the end adds a touch of floral complexity.
The real fun is in making the noodles – the name “biang biang” actually comes from the sound of slapping the dough against the counter to stretch it out!
To complete the dish, you boil the hand-pulled noodles with chopped cabbage, then toss everything with the beef and its rich sauce.
A final drizzle of chili oil, soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar adds depth and tanginess, while fresh scallions and cilantro brighten up this hearty dish.
Book: Woks of Life Cookbook, page 105
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Intermediate
Store-Bought Is Fine: chili oil
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —
Lamb version of the recipe here.
