Udon with Beef and Vegetables

Name: Udon with Beef and Vegetables
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500 g Beef; 2 tbsp Soy sauce; 1 tbsp Oyster sauce; 1 tsp Sesame oil; 1 tsp Brown sugar; 0.25 tsp Baking soda; 0.5 tsp White pepper, ground; 700 g Udon noodles; 1 pcs Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 pcs Carrot; 0.5 pcs Bell pepper; 3–4 stalks Green onion; Bean sprouts; Neutral oil; 2 tbsp Oyster sauce; 3 tbsp Soy sauce; 1.5 tsp Brown sugar; 1 tsp Sesame oil; 0.5 tsp Ground ginger; 0.5 tsp White pepper; 3 tbsp Water

30 minutes marinating + 20 minutes cooking

A home wok with tender beef, crisp vegetables and thick wheat noodles in a rich soy sauce. The meat is marinated the Chinese way, velveting with baking soda, which makes it very tender. It comes together fast — the one thing that matters is a properly hot pan.

Ingredients

4 servings

Beef

Beef(sliced very thinly across the grain)500 g

Soy sauce2 tbsp

Oyster sauce1 tbsp

Sesame oil1 tsp

Brown sugar1 tsp

Baking soda0.25 tsp

White pepper, ground(or black)0.5 tsp

Vegetables and noodles

Udon noodles(600–800 g, ready-cooked)700 g

Onion1 pcs

Garlic3 cloves

Carrot1 pcs

Bell pepper0.5 pcs

Green onion3–4

Bean sprouts(optional)

Neutral oil(for frying)

Sauce

Oyster sauce2 tbsp

Soy sauce3 tbsp

Brown sugar(1–2 tsp)1.5 tsp

Sesame oil1 tsp

Ground ginger(or 1–2 tsp fresh)0.5 tsp

White pepper0.5 tsp

Water3 tbsp

Instructions

How to make it

Slice the beef very thinly across the grain. Mix it with all the marinade ingredients and leave for at least 30 minutes. The baking soda matters here: this is the Chinese velveting technique, and it is what makes the meat so tender.

In a large pan or wok heated as high as it will go, sear the beef quickly in small batches, about 2–3 minutes, and move it to a plate.

Add a little oil to the same pan along with the onion, carrot and pepper. After a couple of minutes add the cabbage, garlic and ginger. Leave the vegetables slightly crisp.

Add the udon (I cook it as the packet says: 2–3 minutes in boiling water), return the beef and pour in the pre-mixed sauce. Toss everything over high heat for 1–2 minutes so the noodles are coated.

Finish with the green onion and sesame.

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