Make your own easy Asian dinner that's better than take out. It's really simple and can be made in 30 minutes if you skip the marinating or marinate the meat a day in advance.
3/4 c. plus 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 and 1/2 T. minced garlic, divided
1 lb. flank steak
3 - 5 T. vegetable oil, divided
Veggies: 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, 8 oz. snap peas, 1 c. shredded carrots, 1 sliced red bell pepper
3 T. plus 1 t. cornstarch, divided
2 - 3 oz. packages ramen noodles (discard the spice packets)
2 T. sesame oil
1 c. low-sodium beef stock/broth
1 T. minced ginger or 1/4 t. ground ginger
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed or to taste
1/2 - 1 t. red pepper flakes
green onions, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
Marinate the meat: Toss together 1/4 c. soy sauce, hoisin sauce and 1 T. minced garlic. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick strips and then into 2 inch pieces. Place the steak pieces in the marinade; leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
While meat is marinating, prep and cook the veggies. Place 1 T. oil in a large skillet or wok; add in the mushrooms, snap peas, shredded carrots and chopped red bell pepper. Cook over medium high heat until crisp tender; transfer to a bowl/plate.
Remove the meat; drain off any remaining marinade. Toss the meat to coat with the cornstarch in a large plastic zip lock bag, making sure all of the meat is well coated.
Add 1 T. oil to skillet; heat until oil is shimmering; add in half of the beef so it can be in a single layer. Cook without moving until the beef is well seared, about 1-1/2 minutes. Continue cooking while stirring until the beef is lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
Add in the last remaining 1 T. oil to the pan; heat until shimmering. Add the remaining beef; cook without moving until the beef is well seared, about 1-1/2 minutes. Cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the rest of the beef to the plate.
In the same skillet or wok, add in the sesame oil, remaining 1/2 c. plus 2 T. soy sauce, beef stock/ broth, remaining 1 1/2 T. minced garlic, minced ginger, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
Stir and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until sauce thickens and reduces by about a third, about 10-12 minutes. Don't reduce it too much, you want to be able to generously coat all the noodles and veggies.
In a small dish, whisk together remaining 1 t. cornstarch with 1 t. water until smooth. Whisk into the sauce.
While the sauce is reducing, boil a small pot of water; cook the ramen noodles for exactly 2 minutes; drain; rinse in cold water. DO NOT overcook.
Add cooked veggies, cooked meat and drained ramen noodles into the sauce; toss to coat. Top with green onions. Add some freshly ground black pepper and more red pepper flakes, if desired.
Serve immediately.
4-6 servings.