Beef and Pepper Noodle Stir-Fry
Thin beef strips cooked hard over high heat, tossed with sweet peppers and tender noodles in a glossy soy sauce. A fast, savory one-pan dinner.
- Total
- 18 min
- Prep 7 · Cook 11
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Stir-frying · Searing
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Bring 1 l water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat.
~4 min
-
While step 1 cooks
While the water heats, slice the peppers into 1 cm strips, discarding the seeds and core. Pat the beef strips dry with paper towel and season them with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
~3 min
Drying the beef prevents surface moisture from steaming the meat, so it browns and develops flavor instead.
-
Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
~3 min
Cooking noodles just shy of tender keeps them springy, since they finish cooking in the hot pan.
Cook the noodles just shy of tender before draining. They finish in the hot pan with the soy sauce, so they stay springy instead of turning soft and gluey.
-
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the beef strips in a single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute, then stir-fry until browned but still juicy, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the beef to a plate.
~3 min
High heat and a single layer create Maillard browning, building the savory crust that flavors the dish.
Pat the beef strips very dry before cooking: surface moisture steams the meat instead of browning it, and a dry surface gives you the browned crust that flavors the whole dish.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and food moving; overcrowding or low heat steams instead of sears. Cook in a single layer until browned before stirring.
Searing Pat meat dry and leave it undisturbed for the first minute so a browned crust forms. A wet surface or constant stirring prevents browning.
-
Add the peppers to the same pan and stir-fry over high heat until they blister at the edges and soften slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
~3 min
High heat blisters the peppers' skins, softening them while keeping their sweetness and texture.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and food moving; overcrowding or low heat steams instead of sears. Cook in a single layer until browned before stirring.
-
Return the beef and any juices to the pan, add the drained noodles and 2 tbsp soy sauce, and toss over high heat until everything is coated and hot, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
~2 min
Tossing over high heat evaporates moisture so the soy sauce reduces into a glossy coating that clings.
Stir-frying Keep the pan very hot and food moving; overcrowding or low heat steams instead of sears. Cook in a single layer until browned before stirring.