Sticky Tamarind Beef Noodles

Ingredients

• 🥩Flank Steak, trimmed200 g
• 🧈Salted Butter, for searing14 g
• 🧄Garlic, minced2 clove
• 🫚Ginger (ground)2 g
• 🥢Soy Sauce30 ml
• 🍯Honey21 g
• 🥢Rice Vinegar15 ml
• 🌶️Dried Chili Flakes1 g
• 🍜Ramen Noodles120 g
• 🧅Scallions, thinly sliced2
• 🌿Cilantro, leaves picked6 g
• 🍋Lime, cut into wedges1
• 💧Wateras needed

Contains Dairy, Garlic, Gluten, Onion, Soy, Sulphites. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Trim any tough surface bits from the Flank Steak.

2. 2

   Slice it very thinly across the grain on a slight diagonal so the strips stay tender in the skillet. Aim for clean, narrow ribbons that look almost translucent at the edges; if the meat starts to shred, sharpen your knife angle and slow down.

   5 min
3. 3

   Peel and mince the Garlic Cloves finely.

4. 4

   Stir the Ground Ginger into the Garlic on your board so the flavour is ready to go into the skillet all at once. You want a damp, fragrant paste that smells sharp and warm; if the pieces are chunky, keep chopping so they do not scorch before the sauce comes together.

   3 min
5. 5

   Mix the glaze

   Set a mixing bowl on the counter and whisk the Tamarind Paste, Soy Sauce, Honey, Rice Vinegar, Water, and Dried Chili Flakes until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. It should smell sharp, savoury, and a little fiery, with no streaks of paste left; if the tamarind is stubborn, keep whisking for a few more seconds so it dissolves evenly.

   2 min
6. 6

   Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a lively boil over high heat.

7. 7

   Add the Ramen Noodles and stir them loose right away so they do not clump. Cook for about 2 minutes until they are supple but still bouncy at the centre.

   4 min
8. 8

   Drain them when they look pale and chewy rather than fully soft; if they overcook, rinse briefly with cool water to stop the carryover heat.

9. 9

   Sear the beef

   Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the Salted Butter until it foams and the bubbles begin to subside. Lay in the beef in a single layer and leave it alone for about 90 seconds so it can brown instead of steam; you want a dark seared edge and a pinker centre, and if the skillet starts crowding, sear in batches so the meat keeps contact with the hot base.

   3 min
10. 10

    Cook the aromatics

    Push the beef to one side of the skillet, add the Garlic Cloves and Ground Ginger into the open space, and stir them through the hot fat for about 30 seconds until they smell sweet and sharp rather than raw. Keep them moving so the garlic turns pale gold at the edges; if it darkens too fast, drag the skillet off the heat for a breath before continuing.

    1 min
11. 11

    Pour in the glaze

    Pour the mixing bowl of glaze into the skillet and stir firmly, scraping the base so the browned bits dissolve into the sauce. Simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes until it turns shiny, slightly thicker, and sticky enough to coat the spoon in a thin amber film; if it still looks watery, keep it bubbling a little longer.

    2 min
12. 12

    Toss the noodles

    Add the drained Ramen Noodles to the skillet and toss them through the glaze with a lifting, folding motion for about 1 minute until every strand looks lacquered and the noodles start to tug slightly against the spoon. If the sauce feels too tight, loosen it with a splash of reserved noodle water so the strands stay glossy rather than clumpy.

    2 min
13. 13

    Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the Scallions and Cilantro so they stay bright and aromatic instead of wilting flat. Taste a strand of noodle and a piece of beef.

14. 14

    Squeeze in the Lime over the top and serve right away while the glaze is still sticky and the herbs smell fresh.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving