Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 5 or 6 dried black or shiitake mushrooms 12 ounces sweet potato noodles (or the same amount of Asian cellophane, glass, or bean thread noodles or, in a pinch, regular vermicelli) a bunch of spinach (washed) or a bag of baby spinach 2 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped, divided use 1 tablespoon Asian toasted sesame oil, divided use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3/4 pound boneless steak (such as New York strip or sirloin tips), about 1-inch thick, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips 1/3 cup soy sauce, divided use 1/2 an onion, sliced 1 carrot, shredded 3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces (or a few large chives, snipped) 1/3 cup sugar toasted sesame seeds
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Directions: |
Directions:# Begin by reconstituting the mushrooms: in a small bowl, cover them with very hot tap water and set them aside. # Now cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes (it may be less or more if you're using a different type of noodle: you don't want to cook them beyond chewiness), then use tongs to pull them out into a colander and rinse them very well under cold running water. They will be very, very chewy, which is what you want. If you like, use scissors to cut them up a bit for easier eating. # In that same pot of boiling water, blanch the spinach: it will turn bright green almost immediately, at which point you should drain it in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Gather it into a ball and squeeze all the moisture out of it and, if you used large leaves of spinach, cut the ball in half with a knife. In a small bowl, dress the spinach with half the garlic, a teaspoon of the sesame oil, and the salt and set it aside. # Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the steak, a spoonful of the soy sauce, and the rest of the garlic. Stir-fry until the meat is cooked, 3-4 minutes, then add the onion, the carrot, and the mushrooms, which you've drained and cut into slices. Cook until the onion is translucent, another 3 or so minutes, then add the scallions and stir-fry for another minute. # In a large bowl, combine the noodles, the spinach, the beef mixture, the remaining soy sauce, the remaining sesame oil, and the sugar. Mix it will -- you will likely need to use your hands for this -- then serve warm, sprinkled with the sesame seeds. |