SPICY RIBEYE AND BROCCOLINI SHANGHAI NOODLES

A plumply delicious tangle of fresh Shanghai noodles, tender rib eye and earthy broccolini brought together in a quick and easy, Chinese-y, stir fry, with a spicy kick. Pass the chop sticks, please.

This is one of those dishes that as soon as I started playing with it, to get the recipe just right, for us, and for you, I had to keep making.  And making.  We like it!  And it's pretty damn quick and easy to throw together even on those nights when you don't really feel like cooking.  Bonus!

Plus now I have one more way to use my latest obsession.....thinly sliced rib eye.  I go to T-Bones, a close-by butcher shop, that offers lots of ready to go meat and meal goodies, but also butcher service, for the ribeye.  I ask for about 1 pound of ribeye sliced lengthwise into four skinny 'steaks', kind of like Korean BBQ style. 

Well, you guys!!!  Those skinny little ribeye steaks are soooo good, seasoned and fried hot and fast in just a dob of butter and oil, or grilled, same same.  My goodness!  The texture, the flavour, the tenderness, the ease.  I'd say skinny ribeyes are here to stay, at our house. 

Anyway, I digress.  Shanghai noodles is why we are here today.  And tender fried ribeye.  Sheesh, I can't help it! 

When making this stir fry I always use the thick, fresh Shanghai noodles.  Thick and chewy noodles are the only way to go, to give this dish it's brazen texture.  Wham bam!

No weird or unusual ingredients are needed to make this dish, just the usual Chinese/Asian soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce, like Sambal Oelek. 

And, though I use broccolini here, this stir fry is also great using baby bok choy, bean sprouts, mushrooms, whatever suits your fancy.  Make it your own.

Also, if you cannot find fresh Shanghai noodles, Japanese udon work well.

I hope you enjoy these quick and easy, restaurant-y noodles as much as we do.

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SPICY RIBEYE AND BROCCOLINI SHANGHAI NOODLES ~ Serves 3-4

1/2 pound ribeye, sliced thin
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 bunch fresh broccolini = 2 generous cups, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons avocado oil, or your favorite oil, for frying
1/2 small sweet onion, roughly diced
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 pound (454gr) fresh Shanghai noodles
1 3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Place sliced ribeye in bowl, add 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sambal.  Mix, with hands, to coat evenly.  Add cornstarch and mix again, coating evenly.  Let marinate at least 10 minutes, in fridge.  I usually marinate for at least 2 hours, out of ease, of make-ahead.

Steam roughly chopped broccolini for 8-10 minutes, until fork tender, or to your liking.  Set aside. This step can be done ahead of time, as well.

Heat large, non-stick frying pan, or wok over high heat, with 3 tablespoons of avocado oil  When oil is hot, add sliced rib eye and fry, on high heat, until cooked to desired doneness, 2-4 minutes, flipping, turning, as necessary.  Remove from pan, and set aside.

Add diced onion to hot oil in pan, reduce heat to medium-high and cook onion until slightly browning and tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Add minced garlic, stirring, fry 1 minute.

Add fresh noodles to the pan, with onion and garlic.  Quickly pour in 1 3/4 cup water.  Let noodles 'cook' in water 1 minute, and flip.  Start to wiggle and move noodles, using a fork and chopstick, to loosen the noodles as they cook.  Adjust heat, as necessary. Flip again, and keep wiggling and shimmy-ing noodles until they break right up, 4-5 minutes.  *If all the water cooks away, add a bit more, 1/4 cup, at a time.*

Quickly add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal, rice vinegar and sugar.  Mix, mix, mix.  Stir, and wiggle mixture.  Add broccolini and ribeye.  Using a spatula, or flipper, continue to stir fry mixture until all ingredients are evenly distributed and everything is happy, hot and ready to tantalize your taste buds.  Swoop and scoop into bowls, or plates, for serving.  Boom-shaka-laka!