RecipeTin Eats is obsessed with these creamy sesame-y ginger beef and noodles (and you will soon be too)

Name: RecipeTin Eats is obsessed with these creamy sesame-y ginger beef and noodles (and you will soon be too)
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 500g fresh (fridge) or 300g dried flat wheat noodles or other noodles of choice (see note); 1 tsp white sesame seeds; 300g beef mince; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1½ tbsp vegetable oil; 4 garlic cloves, finely minced; 1½ tbsp finely grated ginger; 3 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green separated); 2 large carrots, peeled, cut into batons (8cm long, 0.5cm thick)

The drizzling caramelised beef and slippery, chewy noodles make this dish one you won’t be able to resist.

RecipeTin Eats

November 13, 2023

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

I’m a total sucker for creamy, Asian sesame-y type sauces. For drizzling, dipping, stir-fries and of course tossed through slippery, chewy noodles. This recipe is my current obsession. Not just for the sauce, but also for the wide flat pappardelle-type noodles (excellent surface area for my favourite sauces!) and the nifty technique I’m sharing to caramelise the beef mince by searing them as patties first before breaking it up into little bits. Colour = free flavour!

SOS checklist

Less than $20 for 4 servings ✔
Less than 30 minutes to prepare ✔

Ingredients

500g fresh (fridge) or 300g dried flat wheat noodles or other noodles of choice (see note)
1 tsp white sesame seeds
300g beef mince
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1½ tbsp finely grated ginger
3 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green separated)
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into batons (8cm long, 0.5cm thick)

Sauce

2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (see note)
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce, or other spicy Asian sauce of choice
3 tbsp light soy sauce (see note)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (see note)
1½ tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ cup water

Method

Step 1
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl then set aside.
Step 2
Cook the noodles per packet directions. Drain then set aside until required.
Step 3
Mix the beef mince with the light soy sauce. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds and toast until light golden (about 1 minute) then remove and set aside.
Step 4
Heat the oil in the same pan, still over medium-high heat. Roughly form 4 beef mince patties about 1cm thick then sear for 2 minutes on each side until browned (a nifty technique to get colour on beef mince). Then break up the meat into small pieces using a wooden spatula.
Step 5
Add garlic, ginger, white part of the spring onion and carrot. Cook for 3 minutes until the carrots start to soften. Add noodles and sauce. Toss well using two wooden spatulas. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens and the noodles are nicely coated, about 1 minute.
Step 6
Add the green part of the spring onions plus sesame seeds. Toss one last time, then serve.

Notes

I particularly enjoy wide flat Asian noodles (wheat-based, not rice noodles) for the large surface area the sauce has to cling to. They’re sold fresh (in the fridge) and dried at Asian stores. However, any type of noodle can be used for this recipe – ramen noodle cakes, thin egg noodles, Hokkien noodles. I’d avoid rice noodles though as they are more fragile and will break with all the enthusiastic tossing called for here!
Chinese sesame paste is darker and has a more intense flavour than tahini. Substitute with tahini plus ½ teaspoon extra dark soy sauce, or natural peanut butter for a lovely peanut-y version of this recipe.
Dark soy can be substituted with more light soy. Light soy sauce can be substituted with all-purpose soy sauce. However, do not substitute the light soy sauce with more dark soy sauce! The flavour is too intense and will overwhelm the other flavours in this dish.