While it is easy to run out of ideas as to what to cook, sometimes all it takes is a different approach and presentation to our regular dishes. I give to you, my Noodle Bowl with Minced Beef.
This approach is a much simpler version of cooking Chowmein. You use one sauce to season both ingredients – the cooked
noodles and the beef – and instead of mixing the two together, the noodles are layered into bowls and the cooked minced is piled on top and cascades all around the noodles.
The dish is called noodle bowl because it is best served in a bowl – makes for easy swirling of the noodles with a fork and for catching the wayward minced meat.
You’ll want to start off by first making the Ginger-Scallion sauce and setting it aside.
INGREDIENTS
Ginger-Scallion sauce (recipe follows)
1 pound chowmein noodles
1 – 1 ½ pounds beef mince (pork or chicken mince would work too)
Oil
Ground black pepper
For Ginger-Scallion Sauce:
4 scallions/green onions, sliced thinly, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish
4 heaped tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 heaped tablespoon freshly grated garlic
Finely minced hot pepper to taste
Salt to taste
¾ teaspoon rice wine vinegar (use regular distilled or other flavoured vinegar)
8 tablespoons neutral tasting oil (Canola, vegetable, peanut etc)
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
DIRECTIONS
For Ginger-Scallion Sauce:
Mix together all the ingredients, except the 8 tablespoons of oil in a large heatproof bowl. Taste for seasoning – salt – and adjust if necessary.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan until smoking hot and then pour over the ingredients in the heatproof bowl. Stir to mix well. Let the sauce rest for 20 – 30 minutes so that the flavours can meld before using. Set aside.
For Noodles & Mince:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and toss immediately with half of the Ginger-Scallion sauce. Be sure to coat the noodles well so that they don’t stick together.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a shallow frying pan and heat until smoking hot. Add the mince in a single layer and let brown, sprinkle with black pepper and then turn/toss to brown on the other side. When the mince is about to finish cooking, add the remaining Ginger-Scallion sauce and toss to mix. Taste for seasoning (salt) and adjust if necessary.
To serve, add some noodles to a bowl and top with mince and sliced green onions/scallions.
NOTE
Make a double-batch of the sauce as various noodles yield more when cooked than others. Therefore, having the extra sauce would help. Any extra sauce can be refrigerated for later use.
