Cinnamon-Beef Noodles
Nina Simonds , Cooking Light, JANUARY 2001

Kiy Note: My friend Gina shared this recipe with me. Told me it's a family favorite so I knew I had to try it. I am excited as I have never thought to pair beef and cinnamon. I bet it's really tasty and different!

Kiy Update (02/2008): After making this now twice, I have come to realize ... it's a soup! Go figure, I thought I did something wrong the first time but nope, it came out exactly the same the second time. The flavor is simply amazing and honestly, it does not taste like cinnamon. I can't tell you what the cinnamon does but it definitely adds to the dish! YUM!!!


In this classic version of red-cooking, the meat is simmered in a soy sauce-based mixture for a long time until tender. Seasonings such as ginger, garlic, and cinnamon provide extra flavor. This method can be used to cook a variety of meats, including pork, lamb, chicken, and duck.

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1½ cups rice wine or sake
¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into inch cubes
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
4 cups hot cooked wide lo mein noodles or vermicelli (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of the beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and beef. Return beef to pan; add water mixture, onions, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard ginger slices and cinnamon. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until wilted. Serve over noodles.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup beef mixture and ½ cup noodles)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 403(14% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 5.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50.4g; SODIUM 1080mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 2.9g

Comments (2)

On August 29, 2008 at 8:42 PM , Stonefox said...

mmmm...this looks delicious. I never would have thought to add cinnamon, but then again I'm not known for my cooking! Haha!

Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting. Little girls are the best! What did you think of Chongqing? That's a pretty big place!

 
On September 7, 2008 at 9:34 PM , Kiy said...

Heidi, I need to stop by your blog so we can chat about CQ! :)