Braised Beef and Handmade Noodles

Tender but hearty handmade noodles, simply made with flour, eggs, and whole-milk yogurt, add texture to the stew and thicken the broth. Store the noodles and broth separately to prevent the noodles from dissolving.Read Iliana Regan's essay about this recipe.

Ingreadient

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for work surface
  • 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, beef brisket, or bottom round roast, trimmed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 bunch celery, stalks cut into large pieces (about 8 cups)
  • 9 cups water
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine (optional)

Direction

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Place 1 tablespoon flour in a fine wire-mesh strainer, and sprinkle all over beef. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add beef to Dutch oven; cook, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on all sides, 20 to 25 minutes. Add celery and 9 cups water (water should come up to just below top of meat). Bring to a simmer over medium-high; cover and transfer to preheated oven. Braise until meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours. Transfer beef to a work surface, and shred with 2 forks into large pieces. Using a slotted spoon, remove celery from broth, and discard. Set aside broth in Dutch oven.
  2. While meat cooks, stir together eggs, yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 2 cups flour, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl just until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until it forms a ball. Continue to knead 4 minutes (dough will be sticky and elastic). Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 2 hours.
  3. Remove plastic wrap, and roll dough out on a floured surface into a 14-inch square (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick). Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/4-inch-wide noodles. Arrange noodles in a single layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Add wine to reserved broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add noodles to broth, and return to a simmer. Cook noodles until tender and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. (You should not see a white center when you bite into cooked pasta.) Return shredded beef to pot. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
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