1 ½teaspoonskosher salt(use about half this amount if using granulated salt)
½cuphigh-heat oil such as canola
2clovesgarlic, minced
1tablespoonginger paste(substitute minced or about one inch of fresh ginger finely chopped)
1teaspoonsesame oil
Noodles and Vegetables
12ouncesfresh green beans
5packagesramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded(can use fresh noodles)
2scallions
Instructions
Beef
Slice the beef into strips. Place in a bowl or resealable bag and add the soy sauce. Stir to coat all the pieces. Add extra soy sauce if needed. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Store in the refrigerator and stir occasionally.
Chili Oil
Prepare the chili oil by placing the red pepper flakes and salt into a heatproof bowl. Add the canola oil, garlic, and ginger to a small pan and heat until hot and starting to bubble. Carefully pour the hot oil over the pepper flakes. Then, add the sesame oil and stir to mix. Set aside.
Noodles and Vegetables
Wash, string, and trim the green beans. Then, cut them into 2-inch pieces. Dry them with paper towels and set aside.
Boil the water for the ramen noodles. Add the noodles to a rolling boil, discarding the seasoning packets. Do not break the noodles. Submerge any floating noodles to wet them. Then, boil for 3 minutes.
Drain the noodles and add them back to the pan. Add spoonfuls of chili oil and red pepper flakes and toss the noodles to coat them. Do not add all of the chili oil, just enough to coat them. Cover the pan with a lid to keep warm while cooking the other parts of the dish.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to a wok or large skillet. Heat until hot. Add the green beans and stir-fry until crisp-tender, blistered, and starting to char. When done, move to a platter.
Add a tablespoon of canola to the same wok and heat to hot. Add the beef and cook until brown. Do not crowd the pan. Cook the meat in two batches if needed.
Divide the noodles, beef, and green beans between 4 bowls. Add extra chili oil and pepper flakes as desired. Garnish with chopped green onions (optional).
Notes
Soy Sauce
Coat the beef with soy sauce but don't add so much that it is swimming in it. This dish should have a background flavor of soy sauce. Low sodium is recommended for this recipe to prevent the beef from becoming too salty.
Kosher Salt
This recipe uses kosher instead of granulated or common table salt. If using table salt, substitute 3/4 teaspoon because it has smaller grains and packs more densely into a measuring spoon, which can add too much salt to the chili oil. A good kosher salt to use is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.
Chili Oil
Add as much or as little chili oil as you prefer for individual servings.
Vegetables
Add other vegetables to this dish or substitute your favorites for the green beans.
Calories
The calories for each serving will depend on how much chili oil is added. Calories shown for this dish are calculated by dividing all the chili oil between 4 servings.