Beef Drunken Noodles with Crispy Gigante Beans

Recipe by Chef Jet Tila

Wide rice noodles, tender beef, garlic, chiles and Thai basil keep this grounded in classic drunken noodles, while the gigante beans bring a crispy, creamy contrast. The chef’s move is to fry the beans separately and fold them in at the end so they don’t break down and make the noodles heavy.

• 60 g (1/4 cup) oyster sauce
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) Thai seasoning sauce
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) light soy sauce
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) fish sauce
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) dark soy sauce
• 20 g (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) granulated sugar
• 3 g (1/4 teaspoon) chicken base
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) water

1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, Thai seasoning sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, chicken base and water until the sugar and chicken base dissolve. Set the sauce aside.

• 340 g (12 ounces) Gold Canyon Meat CO. Portion Cut Tenderloin Filet, thinly sliced across the grain
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) light soy sauce
• 10 g (2 teaspoons) Trifoglio Sauté Oil (EVOO/Avo Blend)
• 8 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
• 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground white pepper

1. Combine the sliced beef with the soy sauce, avocado-olive oil blend, cornstarch and white pepper. Massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated, then let it stand for 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

• 255 g (1 1/2 cups) Divina Gigande Beans in Vinaigrette from the Artisanal Provisions portfolio, drained
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) Trifoglio Sauté Oil (EVOO/Avo Blend)
• 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 0.5 g (1/8 teaspoon) ground white pepper

1. Spread the drained gigante beans over paper towels and pat them completely dry. The drier the beans, the better they will blister and the less they will splatter.
2. Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the avocado-olive oil blend and heat until you see the first wisps of white smoke. Add the beans in a single layer and cook without moving them for about 1 minute. Gently turn them and continue cooking until golden and blistered on several sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Season with the salt and white pepper, then transfer them to a plate. Reserve half of the beans whole for finishing and lightly crush the remaining beans so their creamy centers can catch the sauce.

• 450 g (1 pound) fresh wide rice noodles, separated
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) Trifoglio Sauté Oil (EVOO/Avo Blend), divided
• 30 g (10 large cloves) garlic, roughly chopped
• 15 to 25 g (6 to 10) Thai bird chiles, lightly crushed or thinly sliced
• 60 g (1/2 medium) yellow onion, sliced
• 2 whole eggs
• 30 g (1 cup loosely packed) Thai basil leaves
• 15 g (3 tablespoons) sliced scallions

1. Return the wok to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado-olive oil blend and heat until you see wispy white smoke. Add the beef in a single layer and sear without disturbing it for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir-fry until browned but still slightly undercooked, about 1 minute more, then transfer it to a plate.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the garlic, chiles and onion and stir-fry until the garlic is fragrant and the onion begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Crack two eggs, scramble till just starting to set. Do not burn the garlic.
3. Add the rice noodles and spread them across the hot wok. Let them sear briefly before tossing so they develop some char. Pour the sauce around the outside edge of the wok and toss until the noodles absorb the sauce and become glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the wok. Add the lightly crushed beans and toss just until the beef is cooked through and everything is evenly glazed. Turn off the heat, add the Thai basil and scallions and toss until the basil barely wilts.
5. Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and finish with the reserved whole crispy gigante beans. Serve immediately.