February Recipe

Ramen with Beef, Shiitakes, and Spinach
The Best 30-Minute Recipe (From the editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

Ramen noodles are cheap and they cook quickly making them a convenient dinner for the time-crunched cook. By pitching the seasoning packets in the trash and pairing these noodles with fresh ingredients, you can enjoy a quick and flavorful meal.

12 ounces blade steak, sliced into thin strips
8 tsp soy sauce
2 TBLS vegetable oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBLS grated fresh ginger
3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
3 TBLS dry sherry*
2 tsp sugar
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach

Pat beef dry with paper towels and toss with 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Heat 1 TBLS oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl.

Add remaining TBLS oil to skillet and return to med-high heat until shimmering. Add mushroom and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth. Break bricks of ramen into small chunks and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, tossing ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in the pan, about 2 minutes.

Stir in remaining soy sauce, sherry, and sugar. Stir in spinach, handful at a time, until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened. Stir in beef and serve.

*I just omitted the sherry completely. I don’t have any and didn’t know a substitute. It turned out wonderfully!