Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb flank steak (or similar)
  • ~14oz udon noodles (2/3 of a 3-pack, should be refrigerated not dry)
  • 1 bunch green onion
  • 8oz fresh mushrooms (portabello or shiitake)
  • 1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli) or baby bok choy
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely-chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • Thai red birds-eye chiles, thin-sliced (or similar chiles, to taste)
  • red pepper flakes (or other spiciness)
  • 1 Tbsp shaoxing wine
  • neutral oil (e.g. canola or vegetable oil)

Velvet:

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp water
  • 2 tsp neutral oil

Sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp light dark sauce
  • 1 Tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 0.5 Tbsp gochujang
  • 1/2 tsp sugar

Directions

30min-8hrs beforehand, slice the beef into thin strips. Combine the velvet ingredients, and mix into the meat like a marinade. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Prep all ingredients ahead of time, the cooking process goes fast. Find a wok and wok shovel. Cut green onions into 1inch pieces, keeping as much white as possible. Clean and slice mushrooms. Clean gai lan and chop into coarse chunks, slicing any thick stem pieces lengthwise to be thinner. Boil water for noodles. Mix the sauce ingrdients.

Heat wok to high heat with a splash of oil until it is just starting to smoke (I use the highest setting on my electric stove). Add beef to wok, quickly distribute and add more oil as necessary to coat. Cook, stirring with shovel each minute, until beef is browned on all sides and barely cooked through (probably 4-6 min). It may stick to wok, a little sticking is fine, scrape it up with the shovel as you stir. Remove beef and set aside (use a large bowl, all set-aside ingredients can be mingled).

Around now, boil noodles according to package directions, but stopping 30sec early. Drain and set aside. (Ideally, time this to be ready just before they are needed below).

Add another splash oil to the wok. Add green onions, cook for 30sec. Add mushrooms. Cook, tossing stirring frequently as with the beef, until mushrooms are done (2-5 min). Remove contents from wok and set aside.

Add another splash of oil to the wok. Add garlic, cook for 30 sec. Then add ginger, chiles, and red pepper flakes (or other spicy) and cook for a few seconds. Then add gai lan, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 min, then add 1 Tbsp shaoxing wine an 1 Tbsp water. Toss quickly, then gather in center of wok and cover with a pot lid to trap the steam (its fine if its smaller than the wok). Leave covered for 1 min or until gai lan has softened. Remove the contents of the wok and set aside as before.

Add another splash of oil to the wok. Add the cooked noodles, then cook in the wok for 1min, stirring frequently (they will stick and be difficult! it’s fine, scrape the wok as before). Then add the sauce, stir, and cook for 2min, stirring frequently. Add all reserved ingredients back to the wok, stir for 1-2min to reheat and combine, then serve!

Notes

Maybe add bell peppers?

Other sources of spicy?

Oyster sauce in sauce?

Generally keep thinking about the sauce.