Stir-Fried Beef with Black Beans and Rice Noodles

My favourite noodle dish. Although the texture is superb with fresh rice noodles, they are not always so easy to find, so we made it with the broadest rice noodle available. It is about the size of pappardelle. This dish reheats very well in the microwave.

12 oz (375 g) flank steak
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) water

SEASONING SAUCE
1. cups (375 mL) chicken stock
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil (for frying)

NOODLES
1 small dried chili, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped garlic
3 tbsp (45 mL) salted black beans, rinsed and mashed
1 cup (250 mL) snow peas, strings removed
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 oz (250 g) rice noodles, rinsed

1 Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin slices. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil and water. Add meat and marinate for 30 minutes.

2 In a small bowl, combine all seasoning sauce ingredients.

3 Heat wok over high heat. Add oil. When very hot, drain the meat from the marinade, add meat in batches and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until browned. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard marinade.

4 Drain the oil from the wok leaving 2 tbsp (30 mL). Stir in the chili, ginger, garlic and black beans. Add the vegetables and noodles. Stirfry until the red pepper softens slightly, about 1 minute. Stir together the seasoning sauce and pour into the wok. Bring to boil, stirring. Return the meat and any juice and mix well. Pour contents of wok in a large serving platter.

Serves 3 to 4 as main course, 6 as part of a Chinese meal