Grandmas Beef and Noodles

This simple, flavorful, no-frills dish was a staple at her farmhouse during all of our huge family gatherings growing up. And plane though I was her picky-eating granddaughter who avoided just well-nigh anything with veggies growing up, my grandma unchangingly knew that I would be the first one darting when into the kitchen to scoop up seconds and thirds whenever it was whinge and noodles day. I veritably loved her whinge and noodles. And now that our toddler is equally as noodle-obsessed as I am, this winter seemed like the perfect time to introduce him to the family tradition.

Sadly, I missed the opportunity to get my grandma’s word-for-word recipe from her surpassing she passed. But without some tinkering virtually with ingredients over the years, I’ve landed on a recipe that tastes as tropical to the original that I remember. It’s intentionally very simple — basically just a tender cut of whinge browned and simmered with onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme until ultra-tender, then cooked with egg noodles to saucy, delicious, cozy perfection. You can either slow melt the whinge on the stovetop or in a Crock-Pot, or speed things up with an Instant Pot if you’d like. And if you finger like tossing in some uneaten veggies or greens, you’re increasingly than welcome to add some in too.

BEEF AND NOODLES INGREDIENTS

Here are some short notes on the things you'll need to prepare homemade beef and noodles:

• Beef roast: I suggest choosing either chuck roast or sirloin, which are both fat-marbled and become exceptionally soft when slow-cooked. We'll first chop the beef into 2-inch pieces, season liberally with salt and pepper, mix with flour, and quickly cook in olive oil until the edges caramelize.
• Egg noodles: My grandmother often cooked this meal using handmade egg noodles (similar to this recipe), but if you want a fast shortcut, I prefer store-bought wide egg noodles.
• Onion and garlic: This recipe's foundation aromatics are fresh onion and garlic, which enhance the taste of the beef stock.
• Beef stock: For this dish, I suggest using a high-quality beef stock (beef bone broth), since it will serve as the foundation for our sauce, which will cook the meat and noodles.
• Finally, we will season this meal simply with fresh thyme and a bay leaf.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF AND NOODLES

Full instructions for how to make beef and noodles are in the recipe below. (Stovetop/oven, pressure cooker, and slow cooker options are all included.) But here are a few additional quick tips to help make this recipe a success!

1. Choose the proper cut of beef: It’s important to choose a good cut for stewing, such as chuck roast or sirloin, which will become extra tender when slow-cooked.
2. Brown the beef: This step is optional if you’re in a hurry, but that extra browning and caramelization of the beef adds so much rich flavor to the dish.
3. Use good-quality beef stock: Since this dish calls for so few ingredients, the beef stock that you choose here can really make a difference. I used Kitchen Basics Organic Beef Broth in my batch, which was delicious.
4. Don’t rush the beef. It’s important for the beef to have ample time to slow cook so that it’s perfectly tender. (Unless you choose the Instant Pot method, of course, which will dramatically speed up the process!) The beef should be cooked until it can be easily shredded with two forks.
5. Season well. Once the noodles have cooked, give the dish a taste and season generously with salt, pepper and/or extra thyme and Worcestershire as needed. The saltiness will vary here according to what type of beef stock that you use.
6. Adjust the broth as needed. If the dish is too brothy/watery once the noodles have cooked, you’re welcome to stir in a few teaspoons of cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together until smooth) to thicken up the broth. Or if the noodles seem too try, you’re welcome to add in some extra beef stock.