“Sizzling” sesame beef and noodles

A Japanese-influenced quick, easy and healthy mid-week menu option.

Preparation time:  Around 10 minutes

Cooking time:  Around 15 minutes

The marinade for this dish is made with soy sauce and mirin, which is a type of slightly syrupy Japanese rice wine that gives the dish a distinctly sweet taste that goes really well with the sesame flavours.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Rump steak – 300g, trimmed of all fat and sliced as thinly as possible
• Brown sugar – 2 tsp.
• Garlic puree – 1 tsp. (or 2 crushed cloves if you don’t have puree)
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp.
• Mirin – 2 tbsp.
• Spring Onions – 1 bunch, mainly sliced into 4cm lengths (some shredded for garnish)
• Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp.
• Egg noodles – to serve

Method:

1. Mix the sliced beef with the sugar, garlic puree, soy sauce and mirin to ensure it is well coated, then season with a little salt and a good portion of ground black pepper.  Leave for around 10 minutes (while you heat a pan of water for the egg noodles);
2. Heat some oil in a wok over a high heat, then when you are ready to add the egg noodles to the boiling water (assuming that they take 4 minutes, like my usual brand), at the same time add the beef with its marinade to the wok and sear quickly;
3. Once the beef is seared, add the lengths of spring onion and cook for another minute or so, then add the sesame seeds;
4. By now the egg noodles should be ready, so drain them and toss with a little sesame oil (or, failing that, some soy sauce) to stop them sticking together.  Dish up the noodles into two bowls, and serve the beef stir-fry on top, with the shredded spring onion as garnish.

“Sizzling” sesame beef and noodles