Beef chow mein with kale and sweet pepper

Name: Beef chow mein with kale and sweet pepper
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 400 g beef flank steak; 1 heap tsp cornstarch; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1-454 g pkg fresh chow mein noodles; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 shallot, minced; 1 pinkie-sized nub ginger, minced; 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks; 1 sweet bell pepper, cubed; 3 stalks kale leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 cup chicken stock; 1 tbsp cornstarch; Toasted sesame oil

Robert Gonzal @robert

Vancouver BC

Chow mein with crispy noodles is one of my all-time favourite things to eat. Usually, if I'm ordering it at a restaurant, I'll get the seafood version with prawns, fish, scallops and other goodies because it has more of the umami funk I love. My wife and daughter aren't quite as fond of that, so for this version I stayed with milder but still delicious beef, which I velvetted to get it as tender as possible. I also used kale and sweet pepper I already had in the fridge. Truthfully, they can be swapped with just about any other veg of your preference. However you go about it, it's gonna be delicious.

Robert Gonzal @robert

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Ingredients

20 minutes

4 servings

Beef Marinade
400 gbeef flank steak
1heap tsp cornstarch
1/4 tspbaking soda
Noodles and Veg
1-454 gpkg fresh chow mein noodles
3 clovesgarlic, minced
1shallot, minced
1pinkie-sized nub ginger, minced
1/2 cupbamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks
1sweet bell pepper, cubed
3 stalkskale leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
Sauce
2 tbspoyster sauce
2 tbspshaoxing wine
1 tbspsoy sauce
1 tspsugar
1/2 cupchicken stock
1 tbspcornstarch
Toasted sesame oil

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Slice the steak perpendicular to the grain into thin slices (no more than 1/3 cm). Add the beef to the bowl and mix with the remaining beef marinade ingredients. Set aside while you work on the noodles. Don't marinate for more than 20 minutes or the baking soda will give the beef an off flavour.
2

Put a good glug of veg oil in a large wok on high heat. Add the chow mein, spreading the noodles out so they make as much contact as possible with the pan. Let fry about 5 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of water to steam and soften the noodles. Flip and repeat the procedure until the noodles are cooked. They should be mostly soft with some crispy, browned patches. Remove the noodles to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3

Refresh the oil in the wok if needed, then add the beef. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until there's almost no pink left in the meat, then add the garlic, shallot, and ginger. Fry another minute or two until fragrant.
4

Add the pepper and kale to the wok and fry about 1 minute until the kale wilts down. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour it into the wok. Toss to coat, then pour in the chicken stock, followed by a slurry made from mixing the cornstarch with a few tbsp cold water. Mix well until thickened, then pour over the noodles. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil and serve.