Beef and Peppers with Noodles

I tried a recipe for Beef with Peppers from The Pioneer Woman's website.  I didn't make mine spicy because Alyssa was eating it too.  The flavor was good, except my beef didn't turn out nice and caramelized-brown like the picture on her website.  :(  I wonder if it was because I cooked all of the beef at once (instead of in thirds, like her direction says to)....I guess I should have been a little more patient.  But I had to rush because Austin was climbing on the wet dish washer, and Alyssa was banging away with a metal spoon on a metal bowl!  And you wonder why my kitchen is so crazy....hehe

My Beef and Peppers with Noodles (not very colorful)

Pioneer Woman's Beef with Peppers (you see how nice and brown hers looks??)

Beef and Peppers with Noodles

(Taken from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

• 1-½ lb. flank steak (thinly sliced against grain)
• ½ c. low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. Sherry
• 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 tbsp. ginger powder)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 whole medium yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 1 whole bell pepper, cored and thickly sliced
• red pepper flakes, for sprinkling
• cilantro leaves
• rice noodles or linguine pasta noodles

Instructions:

1. Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil).  Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat.  Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat.  When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute.  Remove to a separate plate.
3. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using).  Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm.  Remove to a plate.
4. Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet.  Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet.  Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs.  Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate.  Repeat with remaining meat until all brown.
5. Reduce heat to low.  Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine.  Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in*) and stir.  Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes.  Sauce will slowly thicken.  Turn off heat. 
6. Rice Noodles-Boil water.  Then turn off boiling water and throw in noodles.  Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure).  Or use linguine and cook al dente. 
7. Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together & add more noodles to taste.  Add very hot water if needed to thin.  Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

*Update/Note: you can also whip up an extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you use for the meat.  I made an extra 1/2 batch to add later.