I made this dish on the spur of the moment as a substitute for another and, while it could still probably use a little tweeking both in cooking and plating, it actually turned out to be a very timely dish -- it looked fairly effective as part of a spooky Halloween supper. I can see possibilities for the noodles as part of an Easter meal as well; I just need to figure out an eggy"topping" in Spring colors. But that's for later.
The meat topping that I used for the Halloween version has absolutely nothing to do with Hokkaido food but that is what I have always called it. When I was about 10 my parents sent me to stay with some family friends in Sapporo for a month and this beef dish is what the grandmother would make me whenever the family had curry, which I did not like at the time. I usually serve this over white rice with steamed greens but it tasted pretty fine with the noodles too.
And, speaking of the noodles, make sure that (unlike me) you do not overcrowd the pan when preparing these. When properly prepared the noodles puff up to about triple their size, melt in your mouth and taste faintly like popcorn. My noodles could have been a bit puffier but they were still good.
2 packages glass noodles (also known as Mung bean noodles, found in Asian supermarkets and also used, rehydrated, in Vietnamese Summer rolls)
1 lb premium ground beef
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsps granulated sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt and white pepper to taste
Open the packages of noodles. Using your hands, separate and unravel the noodles and, using scissors, cut them in half. I did not halve them prior to cooking and highly recommend that you incorporate this step! Place the noodles in a large bowl as you do this to have them in one place and ready for cooking.
Put 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. As soon as it is sizzling, add the ground beef. Let it cook through, sirring very occasionally because, though you don't want the meat to stick to the pan, you also want it to be crispy. When there is nearly no pink left, sprinkle the cornstarch and the sugar across the top of the meat. Let cook 2 minutes, stir well, let cook an additional minute. The cornstarch will absorb all the meat juices and the sugar will caramelize and add to the crispy texture,
Add the soy sauce and some white pepper. Salt to taste if needed. Remove from heat and set aside. I usually put it in a low oven to keep warm while I get the noodles cooked.
Use another large skillet and heat the remaining half cup of oil until sizzling. You will know it is ready when a small piece of noodle tossed into the oil immediately puffs up. Remove it and, do the same thing to all the noodles, a handful at a time. As soon as one handful has puffed up, remove to a paper towel lined baking tray and add another handful of noodles to the pot. This is a pain in the neck and kitchen tongs are your friend but th good news is that this process will take less than 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the noodles with a little salt, toss to remove any remaining oil and portion into 4 dishes. Top with 1/4 of the Hokkaido beef and enjoy.
