Wolfgang Puck Cookbook Wolfgang Puck Cookbook
Mandarin Noodles with Sautéed Tenderloin and Vegetables
Noodles signify "long life" to the Chinese, which is just one of the reasons why I love to cook and eat this delicious mixture of fresh egg noodles, tender beef and vegetables, adapted from a recipe in my book "Adventures in the Kitchen."
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces tenderloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup julienned mixed vegetables, such as carrots and asparagus
1 ounce fresh enoki mushrooms
1/2 cup quartered fresh shiitake mushroom caps
3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plum wine
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup Veal Stock (see "Soups & Stocks") or good-quality canned beef broth
2 cups cooked (4 ounces uncooked) Chinese egg noodles
2 tablespoons rice wine
8 to 10 endive leaves

Note: No need to hunt hard for Chinese noodles; you can substitute fresh fettuccine (4 ounces uncooked, boiled in water following the manufacturer's package instructions) from your supermarket's refrigerator case. If you can't find rice wine, substitute fresh lime juice.

Directions
  1. In a large skillet or wok over high heat, heat the peanut oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the tenderloin strips and stir them until lightly seared on all sides. Add the vegetables, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the scallions, and the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the meat and vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  2. Add the plum wine and the cinnamon and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping to dissolve the pan deposits. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the Veal Stock and continue to reduce until the liquid has thickened slightly. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the cooked noodles and the reserved meat and vegetables. Stir in the rice wine and just heat through. Correct the seasoning to taste.
  3. Arrange the endive around the edges of a large platter. Spoon the steak, noodles, and sauce in the center of the endive and garnish with the remaining chopped scallions. Serve immediately.