Hand-Pulled Noodles with Sautéed Beef and Spicy Oil

Ingredients

• 250 g Wheat flour (Sift before use)
• ½ c. à café Salt (Large pinch in the dough)
• 120 ml Water (Warm)
• 200 g Beef (steak) (Slice perpendicular to the grain)
• 2 c. à soupe Spicy oil (1 for marinating the beef, 1 for finishing)
• ½ c. à café Black pepper (Ground)
• 1 small White onion (Slice 10 cm of the white part)
• 2 stalks Green onion (green part) (Cut into 2 cm sections)
• 1 medium Horn pepper (Remove white membrane, cut into 1 cm sticks)
• 2 cloves Garlic clove (Finely chop)
• 10 g Fresh ginger (Slice into 1 mm juliennes)
• 10 g Fresh cilantro (Coarsely chopped, reserved for garnish)
• 2 c. à soupe Light soy sauce
• 1 c. à soupe Dark soy sauce
• 1 c. à soupe Hoisin sauce
• 2 c. à soupe Water (for sauce)
• 1 c. à café Sugar
• 1 c. à soupe Sesame oil (For cooking the beef and vegetables)

Instructions

1. Prepare the noodle dough

   Mix the flour, salt and warm water in a bowl. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes until a homogeneous dough forms.

   Time: PT4M

2. Dough resting

   Form a ball, wrap in plastic film and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

   Time: PT30M

3. Prepare the beef

   Slice the steak perpendicular to the grain. Salt, pepper, add 1 c. à soupe spicy oil, mix and refrigerate.

   Time: PT5M

4. Prepare the vegetables

   Thinly slice the white onion (10 cm), cut the green part into 2 cm sections, cut the pepper into 1 cm sticks, mince the garlic, slice the ginger into 1 mm juliennes and coarsely chop the cilantro.

   Time: PT10M

5. Prepare the cooking sauce

   In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, pepper and sugar.

   Time: PT2M

6. Roll out and rest the dough

   After resting, knead again for 1 minute, roll the dough to 3‑4 mm thickness, lightly oil, cut into 5 cm wide strips, wrap in film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

   Time: PT5M

7. Second cold rest

   Leave the dough strips in the refrigerator for 1 hour (or longer) to facilitate pulling.

   Time: PT1H

8. Sear the beef

   Heat the wok over high heat, add 1 c. à soupe sesame oil and sear the beef for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: Very hot

9. Sauté aromatics

   In the same wok, add 1 c. à soupe sesame oil, sauté the white onion for 20 seconds, add ginger for 20 seconds, then the pepper, the green onion part, the beef and the sauce. Mix for 1 minute.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: Very hot

10. Add spicy oil

    Pour in 1 c. à soupe spicy oil, stir quickly and keep the mixture in the wok.

    Time: PT1M

11. Pull the noodles

    On a lightly floured surface, press a dough strip with a chopstick to create a groove, gently stretch from both ends by tapping the work surface. When the strip reaches its maximum length, tear it in two along the groove.

    Time: PT2M

12. Cook the noodles

    Drop the pulled noodles into a large pot of boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes until al dente. Drain.

    Time: PT6M

    Temperature: 100°C

13. Combine noodles and sauce

    Transfer the drained noodles to the wok, toss for 1 minute to coat with sauce, add a final tablespoon of spicy oil and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

    Time: PT2M

14. Plating and serving

    Place the noodles in the center of a large bowl, add the beef‑vegetable mixture, enjoy hot.

    Time: PT1M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

550

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

70 g

Fat

15 g

Fiber

5 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Wheat flour: All‑purpose flour
• Instead of Salt: Sea salt
• Instead of Beef (steak): Chicken breast, Firm tofu (vegetarian)
• Instead of Spicy oil: Sesame oil + chili powder
• Instead of Black pepper: White pepper
• Instead of White onion: Shallot
• Instead of Green onion (green part): Scallion
• Instead of Horn pepper: Red bell pepper, Green bell pepper
• Instead of Garlic clove: Garlic powder (½ tsp)
• Instead of Fresh ginger: Ground ginger (½ tsp)
• Instead of Fresh cilantro: Flat‑leaf parsley
• Instead of Light soy sauce: Tamari
• Instead of Dark soy sauce: Thick soy sauce
• Instead of Hoisin sauce: Black bean sauce
• Instead of Sugar: Honey, Coconut sugar
• Instead of Sesame oil: Peanut oil

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• Plastic wrap
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Wok or large sauté pan
• Pot for boiling water
• Wooden spatula
• Kitchen tongs (optional)
• Kitchen scale (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Knead the dough until it reaches a smooth, homogeneous texture.
• Let the dough rest (30 min then 1 h) to facilitate pulling.
• Sear the beef very quickly over high heat so it stays tender.
• Stretch the noodles without breaking them by creating a groove with the chopstick.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use a wooden chopstick to create the groove; it provides better grip.
• Add a splash of lime juice just before serving to balance the heat.
• If you like it very spicy, increase the amount of spicy oil or add chili flakes.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Cooked noodles keep for 2 days in an airtight container, lightly oiled.

Freezer: Uncooked fresh noodles can be frozen for 1 month on a tray, then transferred to a freezer bag.

Room temperature: Raw dough can stay at room temperature for a maximum of 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the dough the day before and let it rest in the refrigerator; it will be even easier to stretch.
• The sauce can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 3 days.