When discussing things culinary in nature, seeing the word dragon in the name often evokes a spicy meal that will set your tongue on fire. However, this Dragon Beef is named for my little Instant Pot steam helper, seen here:
When a quick release is called for in a recipe, I set my dragon over the pressure valve to redirect and tame the steam at the end of the cooking process. Dishes that used to spatter my kitchen cabinets and counter with steam and sometimes even light debris are properly tamed by my little dragon. So when I make the beef and sauce in my Instant Pot, my dragon helps. What's more, I can get the entire meal assembled in about a half hour which is music to my ears.
This is a one dish meal and you can feel free to tweak a lot about it. Use different veggies, pasta options, and even make the sauce spicier, sweeter, saltier, and more. Find what works for you and then dig in. Dinner should be fast without being difficult and this one checks both those boxes and the delicious one as well!
Dragon Beef and Noodles
- 1 pound tenderized round steak cut into thin strips
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 cup soy sauce or gluten free tamari
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
- 2 cups chopped bok choi or tatsoi
- 8 oz. cooked and drained fettuccine noodles
In a large bowl, toss the round steak strips with the cornstarch together and let them sit for 5 minutes.
While the beef rests, add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes to a medium sized bowl; whisk well. Set aside.
Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add half of the sesame oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add half of the steak and cook 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove the meat from the pot and repeat with the remaining sesame oil and beef. Return all of the beef to the pot and press the cancel button on your Instant Pot. Pour the sauce over the beef and stir well.
Close the lid. Set the Instant Pot to the high pressure setting and set the timer to 10 minutes. When the cooking is complete, use a quick release to depressurize. Here is where having a pressure cooker dragon (or equivalent) is handy - see the article for more on that.
Add the carrots and bok choi and replace the lid; allow to rest while you prepare the noodles. When the noodles have been cooked and drained, remove the lid of the Instant Pot and add the noodles to the mixture. Stir well to combine and serve immediately with hot sauce and any other toppings that bring you joy.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes