“Yakisoba is simple comfort food that’s easy to throw together with whatever protein and veggies you have on hand. You can buy ‘yakisoba sauce’ in a squeeze bottle at an Asian market, but it tends to include high fructose corn syrup. My homemade sauce comes close without being so sweet, and once you’ve had flank steak in this marinade there’s no going back. Green cabbage is more traditional, but red cabbage becomes this gorgeous purple when stir-fried and has more vitamin A and iron. You can use any kind of sake you like, even the cheap stuff.”
Recipe by Ken Beck
Born in Sumter, SC in 1970
Lives in Portland, OR
Profession: Tech support
Leisure: In a hammock
Word of the day: Engawa
Childhood cuisine: Fried chicken
Umi Notes
Ken's yakisoba is a tasty crispy noodle “pancake” topped with a heap of veggies and caramelized steak. The noodles take really well to this treatment and are crisp and golden on the outside and soft but chewy on the inside. You could use almost any quick-cooking veggie here—whatever is in season would be great (asparagus, snap peas, broccoli).
Active Time: 35 min | Inactive Time: 30 min | Moderate | 3 servings
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6-8 ounces (1/2 pound) flank steak
1 pound Umi Organic yakisoba noodles
4 tablespoons safflower oil, divided
2 small carrots, cut into 2” matchsticks
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (2 cups)
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 pinches katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Directions
1. Pour 2 cups sake to drink while you cook—one for a loved one and one for yourself.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oyster sauce, sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and pepper. Slice beef against the grain into 1/2-inch slices. Add to bowl and coat with marinade. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Remove beef from marinade and shake off excess, reserving marinade. Heat a wok on high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the beef in a single layer. Sear for 1 minute, flip, and cook briefly until well-browned but still pink inside. Remove to a large bowl and cook next batch until all beef is cooked.
5. Wipe out wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add carrots, onions, and cabbage and pan-fry until they turn slightly golden, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon water and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add to bowl with beef.
6. Wipe out wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add noodles. Allow noodles to fry, undisturbed, 3 minutes, then stir well to separate. Continue to cook for 2 minutes or until crisp. Pour reserved marinade over noodles, flip, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from wok, cut in half, and divide between 2 plates.
7. Divide beef and vegetables between plates. Garnish with scallions and katsuobushi.
8. Pour more sake and enjoy!
Photos by Shawn Linehan.
