Asian Beef Stew

Beef noodles seems to me to be the ham and cheese sandwich of China.  Can't go wrong, order anywhere and you're good.  And what an outrageous difference you'll get - just like any classic dish.  Make this the way you like.
3 lb beef chuck, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp Sambal Mattah (I use Trader Joe’s)

1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups beef or chicken broth
2 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Palmful fresh cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
toasted sesame seeds

Brown the meat in a dash of oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot. Work in batches to allow plenty of air between the cubes as they brown. Set beef aside in a bowl when browned.

Add the carrots and onion to the pot and a dash more oil if necessary. Cook about 10 minutes, to just brown the edges of the onion. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk together the hoisin sauce, gochujang, sesame oil and samba mattah in a small bowl. Return the beef to the pot and add the broth, tomato sauce and hoisin mixture. You should have enough liquid to barely cover the meat.

Pieces poking up through the top is good.

Bring to a gentle boil, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook about 45 minutes, stirring every once in a while. While the stew cooks, sauté the mushrooms in a dash of oil just until lightly browned.

After 45 minutes, remove the top from the pot and stir in the mushrooms. Continue cooking another 45 minutes, allowing the liquid level to reduce to a nice saucy consistency. By now the broth should be a deep red.

When the beef is fork tender, ladle stew into bowls over noodles or rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have gochujang, you could use the same amount of miso paste. If you can’t find samba mattah, you can substitute a few teaspoons (careful!) of asian chili paste with garlic. I also substitute Trader Joe’s chili jam for gochujang and/or samba mattah.