Charred Scallion Beef with Shirataki Noodles

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A blistering-hot wok-style stir-fry of thin flank steak, sweet peppers and a whole bunch of scallions charred until smoky, tossed with dry-fried shirataki noodles that soak up a garlicky soy-sesame sauce. Dry-frying the noodles first is the trick — it drives off their water so they turn springy and chewy instead of watery, and it happens in a plain skillet in about six minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb flank steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick against the grain
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp granulated monk fruit sweetener
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red chile flakes

• 2 7-oz packages shirataki noodles
• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• 8 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, whites split lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Toss the sliced flank steak with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, the baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Massage it in with your hands until the meat feels slightly tacky, then let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prep everything else.
2. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sweetener dissolves: 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, the vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, monk fruit sweetener, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and the chile flakes. Set it next to the stove.
3. Drain the shirataki noodles and rinse them under cold running water for a full 30 seconds, then shake them very dry in a colander. If the strands are long, snip them a few times with scissors.
4. Set a large dry nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat and add the drained noodles with no oil. Dry-fry, tossing every 30 seconds or so, for 6 to 8 minutes, until they stop squeaking and hissing, look matte, and have shrunk noticeably. Scrape them onto a plate.
5. Return the skillet to high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil. When it just begins to smoke, spread the beef out in a single layer and let it sear undisturbed for 60 to 90 seconds, until deeply browned on the underside. Stir-fry 45 seconds more, just until barely cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan along with the scallion whites, bell pepper and shiitakes. Stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes without moving them much, so the scallions and peppers pick up real char spots.
7. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then return the noodles to the pan and pour in the sauce. Toss constantly for 2 minutes, until the sauce clings to the noodles and the pan is nearly dry.
8. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan, add the scallion greens, and toss for 30 seconds just to heat through. Kill the heat, scatter with sesame seeds and serve immediately in warm bowls.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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