Quick Thai-Style Beef & Peppers with Rice Noodles

By Foodiewife

Full disclosure is that this recipe is every so slightly adapted from Food Network's "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". I made some very minor tweaks, like doubling the beef and using Thai Red Curry Paste instead of chili paste. My butcher thinly sliced the flank steak for me, so this dinner was ready to go in less than 20 minutes. It's a very colorful dish, with delicious Thai flavors. The basil and cilantro garnish, with a squeeze of lemon juice made this a delicious fast dinner that I will make again. Please click on the recipe source to see how I made this on my food blog, "A Feast for the Eyes".

Ingredients

• 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package pad Thai rice noodles or linguine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste or a few dashes red chili oil (I used 1 teaspoon of Thai Red Curry Paste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lime, halved (I used 2 limes)
• 1 pound flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain (I used 2-pounds)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into rings
• 1 tablespoon diced fresh jalapeno or 1 teaspoon diced hot pepper
• optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Note: I do recommend the rice noodles, as they are easy to find. Cook them a bit under (2 minutes) to al dente, as they will continue to cook once they are added to the stir fry.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, chili paste, garlic and the juice of half the lime.

Pour a fourth of the marinade into a bowl with the sliced beef and toss to coat. Reserve the rest of the marinade for later.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Note: I used a Wok, but a cast-iron skillet would have been my second choice. I don't recommend using a non-stick skillet, because you need to use high heat to make this.

When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for a minute or so. Add the bell peppers and jalapenos. Cook for a minute, tossing until the peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove the vegetables to a plate.

Into the hot skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Add the meat mixture, evenly distributing it over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 45 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add the onions and peppers back into the skillet.

Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the remaining marinade and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes; the sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off the heat.

Drain the noodles, then add half of them to the stir-fry. Toss and add more noodles as desired. Stir in some very hot water if needed to thin the sauce.

Note: On the TV show, Ree says she prefers to remove the noodles with tongs, so that the reserved water can be used to thin out the sauce, if it thickens too much. Plus, when I drained the noodles, they clumped together a lot. I'll use tongs next time.

Top with basil and cilantro leaves and serve immediately with a squeeze of the remaining lime half. Add the red pepper flakes, if using. I didn't use them, and didn't miss them at all.

Tasting notes: Definitely don't skip the fresh cilantro and basil, as this really makes the sauce. I was out of red chili paste and used Thai Red Curry Sauce. The sauce turned out amazing!