Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef)
By Lan LamPublished on November 4, 2014
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
⅛ teaspoon baking soda 12 ounces flank steak, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2- to 2 ½-inch strips, each strip sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick¼ cup ketchup ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar 3 garlic cloves, minced3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 pound fresh yakisoba, ramen, or lo mein noodles, or 8 ounces dried lo mein noodles 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick1 carrot, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick on bias¾ cup chicken broth 6 cups napa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ½-inch strips7 scallions, cut on bias into 1-inch lengthsSalt
Before You Begin
Garnish the noodles with pickled ginger (often found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near tofu) and our Sesame-Orange Spice Blend or, if you can find it, commercial shichimi togarashi.
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Whisk ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, anchovies, and vinegar together in second bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons sauce into beef mixture and set aside remaining sauce.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until almost tender (center should still be firm with slightly opaque dot), 3 to 10 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on whether you are using fresh or dry noodles). Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
- Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth and cook until all liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender, about 30 seconds. Transfer vegetables to bowl.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add cabbage and scallions and cook, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage and scallions are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms and carrot.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add half of beef in single layer. Cook, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with vegetables. Repeat with remaining beef and remaining 1 teaspoon oil.
- Return skillet to high heat; add reserved sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, and noodles. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until noodles are warmed through, about 1 minute. Transfer noodles to bowl with vegetables and beef and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2- to 2 ½-inch strips, each strip sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound fresh yakisoba, ramen, or lo mein noodles, or 8 ounces dried lo mein noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 carrot, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick on bias
¾ cup chicken broth
6 cups napa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ½-inch strips
7 scallions, cut on bias into 1-inch lengths
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2- to 2 ½-inch strips, each strip sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound fresh yakisoba, ramen, or lo mein noodles, or 8 ounces dried lo mein noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 carrot, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick on bias
¾ cup chicken broth
6 cups napa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ½-inch strips
7 scallions, cut on bias into 1-inch lengths
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2- to 2 ½-inch strips, each strip sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound fresh yakisoba, ramen, or lo mein noodles, or 8 ounces dried lo mein noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 carrot, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick on bias
¾ cup chicken broth
6 cups napa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ½-inch strips
7 scallions, cut on bias into 1-inch lengths
Salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Yakisoba is a dish that was developed in Japan around 1950. Though "soba" typically refers to buckwheat, the fresh noodles in this dish are Chinese-style wheat strands with a chew resembling that of ramen noodles. We undercooked the noodles to ensure their chew and rinsed them very well with cold water, which removed surface starches and made them appropriately slick. Traditionally the dish is seasoned with a Japanese brand of Worcestershire sauce (Bull-Dog) that's sweeter than the British original, which is often used as a stand-in. To account for the difference in flavor and body, we augmented Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce with ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar.
Before You Begin
Garnish the noodles with pickled ginger (often found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near tofu) and our Sesame-Orange Spice Blend or, if you can find it, commercial shichimi togarashi.
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Whisk ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, anchovies, and vinegar together in second bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons sauce into beef mixture and set aside remaining sauce.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until almost tender (center should still be firm with slightly opaque dot), 3 to 10 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on whether you are using fresh or dry noodles). Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
- Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth and cook until all liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender, about 30 seconds. Transfer vegetables to bowl.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add cabbage and scallions and cook, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage and scallions are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms and carrot.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add half of beef in single layer. Cook, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with vegetables. Repeat with remaining beef and remaining 1 teaspoon oil.
- Return skillet to high heat; add reserved sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, and noodles. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until noodles are warmed through, about 1 minute. Transfer noodles to bowl with vegetables and beef and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately.
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