Did I mention that it is pasta month here at Between Two Forks? This month is going to be everything and anything pasta/noodle related. Zoodles and spaghetti squashes are just not cutting it (no pun intended). I’m not a three-year-old and don’t need to be deceived into eating my veggies. Well… maybe I do, lol. That being said, we are going to eat some Paleo noodles today. During the winter time, I really miss a big bowl of hot, steamy noodle soup. So this week, we will be making a Paleo Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup.
I have a few very significant food memories related to noodles. One of them is eating my first adult portion Braised Beef Noodle Soup. I was fairly young at the time and like any younger brother, I ordered what my older brother did because I wanted to be a big kid. Boy, that bowl of noodles was absolutely delicious. Complex soup base with melt in your mouth beef; it was absolutely delightful. That very experience has stuck with me. So this week, I am recreating that memory with a spicy twist: my Paleo Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup. What’s cool is that it can be eaten in two different ways.
Before we get started on this delicious Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup, I want to go over a few ingredients. First: the beef. You will want a fattier cut of beef. The fat not only adds flavor to the soup, but it adds moisture to the meat. The outcome is a tender and flavorful braised beef. This recipe can also be done in an Instapot to help shorten cooking time. But I’m going to stick with my dutch oven/braiser.
Paleo Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup:
Braised Beef:
3lbs – Grassfed Chuck Roast/Short Ribs (1 inch Cubes)
1 – Yellow Onion (Diced)
3 to 4 – Stalks of Green Onion (Half diced, half 2 inch cuts)
½ Cup – Cilantro (Rough chopped)
2 – Shallots (Sliced)
4 to 5 – Large slices of Fresh Ginger
4 – Thai Chili Pepper
7 to 8 – Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
¼ Cup – Diced Tomatoes
1 – Box of Free Range Chicken Broth (32oz)
½ Cup – Coconut Amino
1 Tbsp – Sesame Oil
¼ Cup – Coconut Sugar
½ Tsp – Orange Zest
1 Tsp – Ground Cumin
1 Tsp – Ground Coriander Seeds
1 Tbsp – Dried Green Sichuan Peppercorn
½ Tsp – Ground White Pepper
5 – Whole Star Anise
1 stick of Chinese Cinnamon
1 Tsp – Crushed Red Pepper
Salt – To Taste
Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Noodles:
Serving of my Cappello’s Tagliatelle
Optional:
Chinese Broccoli or Bok Choy (Blanched)
2 – Pasture Raised Eggs (Soft Boiled)¹
¼ Cup – Fried Onions
2 Tbsp – Toasted Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp – Kasandrinos Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp – Crushed Cashews or Pistachios
Note¹: To Achieve the perfect soft boiled egg, I submerge eggs in pot of water. Bring to rolling boil for 3.5 minutes. Remove from water and submerge in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup Instructions:
1.) In a mixing bowl, mix together beef, cumin, coriander, white pepper, green peppercorn, 2 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp of EVOO. Mix well and let marinate for 30 minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix together coconut aminos, chicken broth and coconut sugar.
2.) Over medium high heat, heat a dutch oven with 2 tbsp of Epic Tallow. Add the marinated beef to the pan and brown all sides evenly. If you have to, do the beef in a few batches. Do not overcrowd the dutch oven or else the meat won’t brown properly.
3.) Once all the meat is browned, remove from dutch oven and set aside in a mixing bowl. In the dutch oven, add in onions, garlic, shallots and 2 stalks of rough cut green onion. Saute until the onions have caramelized.
4.) Add the beef into the dutch oven along with star anise, cinnamon stick, orange zest, 2 Thai chili peppers, diced tomatoes as well as 2 cups of the coconut amino mixture from step 1. Bring beef mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the beef is tender. If you are using an Instapot, your cooking time is about 45 minutes to an hour.
5.) To create the soup base for the Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup, we will take the braising liquid and add the remaining coconut amino mixture in a sauce pan. Bring that to a boil. Add a cup of water to the soup if flavor is too strong. Bring the soup base to a boil.
6.) Cook the Cappello tagliatelle like last week’s recipe. To assemble the Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup, in a large bowl, add noodles, diced green onion, chopped cilantro (personal preference) shallots, soft boiled eggs and Chinese broccoli. Slowly add in hot soup we previously whipped up.
7.) Another way to eat this Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup is to do it without the soup. In a bowl, add noodles, braised beef and some of it’s liquids, fresh diced green onions, chopped cilantro, fried onions, sesame seeds, crushed cashews and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Toss and enjoy. There you have it, my Paleo Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup made two ways. Until next time, eat up my friends!
