Spicy, Anise-y Red-cooked Beef over Noodles

Description
4 – 6 servings

Ingredients

 * ½ cup peanut or veg oil
 * 4 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
 * 2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
 * 8 thinly sliced green onions
 * 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed in mortar or ground in a spice/coffee grinder
 * 4 star anise
 * 5 – 6 tsp Chinese hot chili paste
 * 1½ pounds of bottom round or other lean stewing beef, cut into ½ to 1-inch cubes
 * 1½ tsp sugar
 * 3 tbsp soy sauce
 * 1 cup beef broth (canned is fine) or a beef bouillon cube mixed with 1 cup water
 * 4½ tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons water (optional, if you prefer a thinner sauce)
 * 1½ pounds of fresh Chinese egg noodles or 1 pound thin dried egg noodles (in a pinch, fettucine will do)

Directions

 * 1) Heat oil in cooking vessel on high and add ginger, garlic, and onions.
 * 2) Stir-fry for a minute and then add two-thirds of the green onions (set the rest aside for serving).
 * 3) After 10 seconds add the peppercorns and star anise, and after 10 more seconds stir in the pepper/chile paste.
 * 4) Stir-fry briskly for about 30 seconds and add the beef, frying till every piece is seared.
 * 5) Sprinkle sugar and soy over all and stir-fry two more minutes.
 * 6) Add broth (or bouillon cube and water), along with 2½ cups of water, stir well, and bring to the boil.
 * 7) Reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the meat is falling-apart tender, about 2 hours.
 * 8) At this point, refrigerate or freeze and reheat, or proceed with the recipe (if you plan to freeze part of the recipe, remove it from the pan now, before adding cornstarch).
 * 9) Cook noodles in boiling water and divide into big bowls.
 * 10) Bring the sauce to a boil and stir in the cornstarch, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is as thick as you'd like (it will thin a bit once it's on the noodles, especially if bean sprouts or pea greens are added).
 * 11) Ladle sauce over noodles and garnish with green onion and, if you like, a sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorns.