Beef and Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 pounds top sirloin steak, (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 16 oz. egg noodles, (or your favorite sturdy pasta)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, (chopped)
• 4-6 garlic cloves, (minced)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Zoup! CulinaryConcentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup heavy cream (see substitutions in notes)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, not thawed (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. 2

   Sear beef: While the chopped steak is still on the cutting board, toss it with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half of the beef and sear until deeply golden, about 4 minutes total. Remove to a plate but leave the drippings. Repeat with remaining beef; set aside.

3. 3

   Gravy: Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in the drippings over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until softened, about 5-8 minutes.

4. 4

   Reduce heat to medium, add flour, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

5. 5

   Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the water. Add the Zoup Beef Base, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Dijon, and all seasonings. Stir in the seared beef.

6. 6

   Bake: Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 90 minutes, then carefully remove the lid, stir, and continue to bake uncovered an additional 30 minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta.

7. 7

   Noodles: Cook the egg noodles in a separate pot with salted water according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain and drizzle lightly with olive oil if the beef isn’t done cooking yet to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

8. 8

   Finish sauce: Once the beef is done, transfer the pot to the stove. Whisk the heavy cream with the cornstarch. Stir it into the beef then bring to a simmer until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add peas the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.

9. 9

   Combine: Stir in noodles and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.