Thai Beef Stewed with Noodle

When I'm in the mood for Thai (and really, when is one not in the mood for Thai??), I usually reach for one of cookbooks by Vatcharin Bhumichitr. I've done several Thai recipes with chicken and fish, but have never tried a beef recipe, so with a freezer full of beef, this sounded like the way to go. While searching through, Vatch's Thai Street Food I stumbled upon Beef Stewed with Noodle.

As usual, I was not disappointed. I have become seriously enamored with these flavorful Asian broths. This was so good and was so ridiculously easy. I loved the combination of the fresh crunchy bean sprouts and the rich broth. The only changes I made were to use beef round, instead of rump, and I used wide soba noodles, because that is what I had. Really, why go out to eat, when you can eat this good at home???

Beef Stewed with Noodle
Serves 4

4 cups of beef stock
1 pound lean rump steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 cilantro roots (I used leaves and stems, mostly stems)
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 ounces sen mee noodles (rice vermicelli), soaked and drained
2 cups fresh bean sprouts

garnish
1 scallion, finely chopped
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Bring the stock, beef, garlic, cilantro roots, cinnamon, star anise, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam occasionally.

Cook or soak your noodles (per package directions). Place the cooked noodles and bean sprouts into a serving bowl. Ladle the cooked beef and broth over the noodles and the bean sprouts. The sprouts will soften a bit in the hot broth.

Garnish with the scallion and the cilantro.

See, unbelievably easy. This will be my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights, which is hosted by Ivy at Kopiaste.