| 2 | lb | Chuck or beef stew meat, fat removed |
| 1/2 | c | Soy sauce |
| 1 1/2 | tb | Sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce |
| 1 | ts | Anise seed |
| 1 | | Cinnamon stick Zest of 1 orange, removed in thin strips with vegetable peeler |
| 6 | c | Water |
| 1 | ts | Vegetable oil |
| 3 | tb | Minced green onions |
| 1 1/2 | tb | Minced garlic |
| 1 1/2 | tb | Minced fresh ginger |
| 1 | ts | Dried hot red pepper flakes |
| | NOODLES AND VEGETABLES |
| 1/4 | lb | Thin egg noodles, such as vermicelli |
| 4 | c | Unsalted chicken broth |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Oriental sesame oil |
| 1/2 | lb | Fresh spinach, stems removed rinsed thoroughly and drained |
| 3 | tb | Minced green onions, green part (shallot) only |
| 4 | qt | (8 c.) water |
