Today is the perfect day for homemade beef and noodles. As I’m sitting here typing, we are awaiting a huge ice and snow storm here in Indiana. School has already been cancelled and the milk and bread are flying off the shelves at the grocery store.

Sure, it’s important to have the essentials when you are prepping for a big storm, but personally I’m looking for something comforting to eat while I watch the snow fall outside!

I created this recipe by merging several existing recipes and adding my own touches to make what I consider to be the best beef and noodles that I’ve ever had.

What is the best meat to use for Beef and Noodles?

I’m a huge fan of sirloin tip roast! We buy some of our meat from a local farm CSA through Becker Farms and their sirloin tip roasts are always lean and high quality. You will want to find a 2 to 3 lb roast with decent marbling but not a huge amount of fat.

My second choice would be a beef chuck roast; when my mom makes these noodles, she uses a beef chuck roast. I personally do not like the level of fat in a beef chuck roast, so I will stick with my sirloin tip roast!

What kind of noodles should I use for Beef and Noodles?

I’ve tested this recipe with a couple of different kinds of noodles (frozen, dried, egg noodles, etc.) My number one choice of noodles for this beef and noodles recipe is wide egg noodles. I prefer the way they hold their shape and how they hold up for leftovers. That is, if you manage to have any left overs!

Now on to the recipe for the BEST beef and noodles!

The first thing you want to do is to gather up all of your tools and ingredients. This is called mise en place! Mise en place is an important first step for any cooking activity; it helps you stay organized and will keep you from getting frazzled while you cook a complicated recipe!

You will need the following pieces of kitchen equipment for this recipe:

2 Large Pots, with lids. I don’t use non-stick pans for this. One will be used for the meat and one will be used for the noodles.
Fine Mesh Strainer
Large Bowl for you to strain into
Tongs for handling the meat
Large Spoon for stirring
2 cup Measuring Cup, such as a Pyrex or Glass one with a handle
2 Forks for shredding the meat
Plate or Cutting Board for shredding the meat
Colander for draining the noodles
Tbsp Measuring Spoon
Whisk

Now let’s gather all of the ingredients:

Olive Oil
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2-3 Lb Sirloin Tip Roast. See the discussion about meat choices above!
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
8 Cups of Low Sodium Beef Broth. This is two of the large cartons of broth sold in stores if you’re curious.
9 1/4 Cups of water. You will use 8 cups while cooking the meat and 1 1/4 cups to make a corn starch slurry.
1/2 Cup of Portabello Mushrooms, dried or fresh
2 Tbsp of Dried Minced Onion
3 Bay Leaves
1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
8 Tbsp of Corn Starch
16 oz Bag of Noodles. See the discussion above about noodle choices!

It’s time to get cooking!

Season the roast on all sides with pepper. You will not need to salt the roast because we will be using the soy sauce to salt the liquid. I promise it will be salty enough!
Heat the oil in a large stock pot and then sear the roast on all sides until a nice brown crust develops. This usually takes 3-5 minutes on each side. You can also use your tongs to hold the roast up on its side to sear the sides. I definitely recommend this. The more brown, the better! Remove the roast and set aside briefly.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar and use a spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Be sure you stand back when you pour in the vinegar because it may splash or steam into your face! And don’t skimp on the scraping of the pan; you want to get all of the brown bits you can off the bottom of the pan.
Add 4 cups of the beef broth and 4 cups of water to the pot. Add the mushrooms, dried onions, bay leaves, and soy sauce as well. Stir the ingredients and then return the roast to the pan.
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to a low boil. Cover the pot until the liquid has reduced by half. This should take about 45-60 minutes. I usually tilt the pot lid so that steam can escape just a bit, which aids in the reduction of the liquid.
Add 4 more cups of beef broth and 4 more cups of water to the pot. Return the liquid to a low boil and re-cover the pot. Again reducing the liquid by half. (Around 45-60 minutes.)
Test the roast to see if it pulls apart easily. It should be soft and easily shredded by this point. Take a test bite to see if the texture is to your liking. If not, add more water back to the pot, cover, and bring to a low boil until your roast reaches the desired texture. I occasionally have to do this step, as each roast is different, and I will do an additional 30 minutes and test the meat again.
Remove the roast from the pot and shred with forks, taking care to remove any fat or gristle. Set the shredded meat aside.
Strain the remaining liquid with the fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. This will remove the spices and mushrooms and will make the gravy extra silky. Return the liquid to the pot and set the heat to low.
In another pot, prepare your noodles per the instructions on the bag. Strain and set aside.
Put 1 1/4 cups of water in the measuring cup and add the 8 Tbsp of corn starch. Stir until a slurry forms. Don’t do this early, as the corn starch will settle out and form a rock on the bottom of the measuring cup. Stir vigorously with a fork or whisk to make the slurry.
Slowly whisk the corn starch slurry into the boiling liquid, stirring constantly. Continue to whisk often until the liquid starts to bubble and thicken.
Once the liquid has thickened, return the shredded beef to the pot and stir to incorporate. Let the mixture bubble for 2-3 minutes to re-heat the beef.
To serve, you can place the noodles into a bowl and pour the sauce and beef over it or you can combine the noodles with the sauce and beef within the pan before serving.

The leftovers are amazing!

If you want to keep the leftovers of the beef and noodles, make sure you mix the noodles in with the meat and sauce before refrigerating. This will allow the beef and noodles to reheat better. Trust me, the leftovers are amazing!

Wait, you don’t like noodles? That’s okay! Let’s make a Beef Manhattan!

If you’re from Indiana or Kentucky, you’ve likely heard of a Beef Manhattan. It’s a very popular dish in my family and is so hearty and satisfying. In other areas of the US, they call it a Beef Hot Shot. It’s super easy to make!

You will need:

The beef and sauce from this recipe. Follow the directions exactly, just skip the noodles.
Some mashed potatoes
Some sliced white bread. I’m talking about basic white bread here!

Build your plate:

Cut 4 white bread slices in half. I like to do it the triangular way.
Set two pieces of bread on your plate, leaving space for mashed potatoes between them.
Put a scoop of mashed potatoes down on the plate.
Pour some of the beef and sauce over the bread and mashed potatoes.
Layer the remaining pieces of bread on top of the first pieces you laid down.
Pour more beef and sauce over the top of the bread and potatoes.
Grab a fork and start eating!

Print Recipe

The BEST Beef and Noodles!

Creamy and flavorful beef and sauce over egg noodles!

Author: That Old Pink House

Equipment

2 Large Pot with Lid
1 Fine Mesh Strainer
1 Large Bowl
1 Tongs
1 Large Spoon
1 2 Cup Glass Measuring Cup
2 Forks
1 Plate or Cutting Board
1 Colander
1 Tbsp Measuring Spoon
1 Whisk

Ingredients

Olive Oil
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2-3 Lb Sirloin Tip Roast
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
8 Cups Low Sodium Beef Broth, divided
9 1/4 Cups Water, divided
1/2 Cup Portabello Mushrooms, dried or fresh
2 Tbsp Dried Minced Onion
3 Bay Leaves
1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
8 Tbsp Corn Starch
16 oz Bag of Wide Egg Noodles

Instructions

Season the roast on all sides with pepper. You will not need to salt the roast.
Heat the oil in a large stock pot and then sear the roast on all sides until a nice brown crust develops. Remove the roast and set aside briefly.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar and use a spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add 4 cups of the beef broth and 4 cups of water to the pot. Add the mushrooms, dried onions, bay leaves, and soy sauce as well. Stir the ingredients and then return the roast to the pan.
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to a low boil. Cover the pot until the liquid has reduced by half. This should take about 45-60 minutes.
Add 4 more cups of beef broth and 4 more cups of water to the pot. Return the liquid to a low boil and re-cover the pot. Again reducing the liquid by half. (Around 45-60 minutes.)
Test the roast to see if it pulls apart easily. It should be soft and easily shredded by this point. Take a test bite to see if the texture is to your liking. If not, add more water back to the pot, cover, and bring to a low boil until your roast reaches the desired texture.
Remove the roast from the pot and shred with forks, taking care to remove any fat or gristle. Set the shredded meat aside.
Strain the remaining liquid with the fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. This will remove the spices and mushrooms and will make the gravy extra silky. Return the liquid to the pot and set the heat to low.
In another pot, prepare your noodles per the instructions on the bag. Strain and set aside.
Put 1 1/4 cups of water in the measuring cup and add the 8 Tbsp of corn starch. Stir until a slurry forms.
Slowly whisk the corn starch slurry into the boiling liquid, stirring constantly. Continue to whisk often until the liquid starts to bubble and thicken.
Once the liquid has thickened, return the shredded beef to the pot and stir to incorporate. Let the mixture bubble for 2-3 minutes to re-heat the beef.
To serve, you can place the noodles into a bowl and pour the sauce and beef over it or you can combine the noodles with the sauce and beef within the pan before serving.

Notes

For best reheating, combine the noodles, beef, and sauce in one container for refrigeration.
You can also skip the noodles entirely and build a Beef Manhattan with bread and mashed potatoes.

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The BEST Homemade Beef and Noodles!