Red-Cooked Beef with Noodles

Flavor: Anise — Flavor: Reddish-Brown: Red-cooked — Meal: Easy, Made in Advance — Meal: One-Dish

“My father loved beef,” recalls Mrs. Chiang. “He thought it was especially nutritious, so although it was scarce he bought it whenever he could. But it came from water buffaloes, so it was tough and had to be cooked for a long time. It had a marvelous flavor that my mother brought out by simmering it for hours in a rich, dark sauce full of hot pepper paste and Szechwan p